James Dornan

Last updated

Hope you remember this the next time you go to confession. You and your cronies are already responsible for the deaths of thousands and you’re now happy to see the most desperate people in the world suffer and drown. If your god exists you will undoubtedly rot in hell. [18] [19] [20]

The SNP later apologised to Rees-Mogg, who said it was "most gracious", adding:

But I think this SNP MSP is entitled to discuss the likely prospects of my immortal soul. It’s quite interesting that you're getting the discussion of hell in public life. I think that is theologically interesting concept and I'm glad he takes such an orthodox, Catholic view of the reality of that and that is encouraging. [21]

In February 2022 BBC journalist Sarah Smith said she was relieved to have escaped the "bile, hatred and misogyny" she had endured covering Scottish politics, having moved to Washington to serve as the BBC's North America Editor. She recounted one instance in which someone shouted at her from their car, "What f***ing lies you’re going to be telling on TV tonight, you f***ing lying bitch?" Dornan tweeted “America would be the go to place to escape all her imaginary woes then.” [22] The comment was widely condemned by his political opponents and Dornan later tweeted an apology, “for my earlier comments that made it seem as though I believed the abuse Sarah Smith has suffered was imaginary”. Conservative MSP Russell Findlay, a former crime reporter who had acid thrown at his face by a gangster, accused Dornan of “gaslighting” Smith and warned, “Cowardly attacks on journalists by the lunatic brigade in Scotland have become increasingly toxic since 2014. There's a risk that personal abuse escalates and that someone will get hurt." [23]

Dornan has made a series of comments criticising Operation Branchform, the Police Scotland investigation into alleged fundraising fraud in the SNP. Following the arrest of Nicola Sturgeon's husband Peter Murrell in 2023 and a police search of Sturgeon and Murrel's private home, Dornan accused the police and media of having "some kind of collusion about making sure the media are in attendance when the slightest thing happens". He described the search of the Sturgeon-Murrell home as "like Fred West's house". Police Scotland denied any suggestion that the media was informed of the search ahead of time. [24] In 2024, after Chief Constable of Police Scotland Jo Farrell confirmed that Operation Branchform was still ongoing and was unable to offer an end date to the investigation, Dornan shared the post on Twitter and wrote: "I have May 2026 in the draw." As the next Holyrood elections are due to be held on 7 May 2026, Dornan's comments were interpreted by many as implying that the police investigation was politically-motivated. Dornan further denounced the investigation as a "farce" in conversation with other Twitter users: "The minute we're seen to even attempt to interfere in police business we would, rightly, be slaughtered. The whole thing is a farce imo [in my opinion] and there are questions for the police to answer but we need to keep our distance... I don't think it's affecting party members much, they see it for what I see it, but it does allow others to use it as a weapon whilst pretending they care about truth and honesty." [25]

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James Dornan
MSP
James Dornan MSP.jpg
Deputy Convener of the
Scottish Parliament
Subordinate Legislation Committee
Assumed office
14 June 2011