In barely 48 hours, almost £37,000 has been raised by the general public to challenge the election of a British MP under false pretences. We don’t believe there’s any sort of precedent for that. It would now seem beyond any reasonable doubt that there will be an official legal challenge to the former Secretary of State.
However greatly it may be to the chagrin of metropolitan commentators like Michael White, it appears that the people of Scotland, having been awoken in large numbers by the independence referendum, are simply no longer content to sit back meekly and allow either the political establishment itself or the media which claims to scrutinise it keep its house (or Houses) in order.
The events of the last few years have made Scotland increasingly disinclined to put its trust in self-appointed gatekeepers, and willing to take matters of politics directly into its own hands. Whatever the eventual outcome of the independence story, the electorate seems not to want to go back into its box, where attention is only paid to it twice a decade. If so, the referendum will have brought about a far more wide-reaching victory than anyone ever imagined.
The UK’s forthcoming referendum on EU membership was enshrined in the Queen’s Speech today, and it seems likely that the “Yes” side will be those arguing for the UK to stay in the EU.
That’s a good thing. However, it’s difficult not to get flashbacks to 2011 when various unionist idiots were insisting that the Yes option should have been “Yes to the UK”, effectively holding a referendum on whether people wanted things to remain the same.
For us pedants, holding a referendum in order to ask people if they’re happy to leave things as they are feels instinctively odd, because if nothing else, it implies that there might be something wrong – a bit like someone randomly coming up to you and asking if you’re okay sitting where you are, making you suspect someone must have done something to the seat.
But it’s just as well, because the pro-EU side is going to need all the help it can get to avoid falling into the same pitfalls as the pro-UK side did last year. And unlike the “Better Together” campaign, the pro-EU campaign won’t have a 30%+ buffer in the polls to insulate it against being led by incompetent buffoons.
Many of you won’t have seen this quite extraordinary performance from the Guardian’s assistant editor Michael White on last night’s Scotland Tonight, and you really should.
“Just go on the radio, play it all with a dead bat, fob them off with some bland waffle and kill the story”, the Lib Dems will have said to Sir Malcolm Bruce this morning.
Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie – a man who was at the heart of the “MemoGate” smear, quoted prominently in almost all the media coverage of the untrue slur against Nicola Sturgeon – has offered the opinion that former Secretary of State for Scotland Alistair Carmichael deserves a “second chance” after admitting being behind the fabricated story and then brazenly lying about it on national TV.
We agree with Mr Rennie.
We believe that Mr Carmichael deserves a second chance to be elected, but this time honestly. The only way that can happen is if he is removed as an MP and given the opportunity to present himself to the electorate again in the light of the revelations. If the voters of Orkney & Shetland weigh up all the facts and conclude that on balance Alistair Carmichael should continue to represent them in Parliament, fair enough.
We therefore draw readers’ attention to the above campaign which has been launched by some of Mr Carmichael’s constituents, which seeks to raise the money required to issue a legal challenge to his election as an MP earlier this month, on the grounds that his narrow 817-vote victory was gained on the basis of lying to voters and covering up that lie until after the election, which may constitute an offence under the Representation of the People Act 1983.
The campaign requires just £6,000 to file the complaint, with the rest of the target sum being set against possible costs. Any unused funds will be donated to charity.
The former Liberal Democrat MP (and also the party’s former Scottish leader, and until just a few weeks ago its UK deputy leader) Sir Malcolm Bruce gave an extraordinary interview to Radio 4’s Today programme this morning about Alistair Carmichael.
The whole thing can be heard here, but the short passage below stood out even in the context of a breathless, furious, scattergun performance that sounded like a man on the edge of a nervous breakdown.
We’re sure readers will be greatly comforted by the fact that it’s okay for the Secretary of State for Scotland to tell a “brazen lie”, on the grounds that everyone else in the Houses Of Parliament is a liar too, and by the notion that a government minister who’s caught lying to the nation in order to undermine the democratically-elected leader of Scotland is an offence for which the culprit can simply decide their own punishment.
The former Scottish Secretary’s excuse for lying on air is a feeble, Hothersall-esque semantic dodge, and his excuse for not resigning is that his years of service as a constituency MP ought to outweigh the fact that a UK government minister abused his office and lied to the public in order to undermine the democratically-elected leader of Scotland and cling on to his own job.
Having now heard the case for the defence, readers can reach their own verdicts.
TURABDIN on Protest But Don’t Survive: “AUTONOMY & independence begin in the intellect, heart and integrity «the soul» of the individual. So called politics and its…” Mar 29, 12:56
willie on Protest But Don’t Survive: “I don’t think it is just the young folks who are disinterested. Thatcher once said there is no society, only…” Mar 29, 12:38
Captain Caveman on Protest But Don’t Survive: ““I don’t think that the movement has been captured” OK maybe it’s wrong to tar everyone with the same brush,…” Mar 29, 11:53
Cynicus on Protest But Don’t Survive: “TURABDIN says: “Philosopher kings, go piss in the winds as Plato might have uttered in disgust.” ========= The main «western…” Mar 29, 11:47
Captain Caveman on Protest But Don’t Survive: “Ah, my old porcine pal Fatso… Mate. Just a few things to point out here. First off, at no point…” Mar 29, 11:45
Sven on Protest But Don’t Survive: “Northcode @ 11.13. Whilst I had always thought of the Sabbath as being from sunset on Friday until sunset on…” Mar 29, 11:35
Carolyn Middleton on Protest But Don’t Survive: “I was hoping to see someone on here mentioning Mr Cox – he’s a fine example of ‘do what I…” Mar 29, 11:35
Sandra on Protest But Don’t Survive: “I gave up on any hope of independence a long time ago now. I feel sickened and embarrassed that I…” Mar 29, 11:32
Dan on Protest But Don’t Survive: “Keep it up Stu, there’s probably still a few pro-Scottish self-governance folk you haven’t managed fall out with or piss…” Mar 29, 11:19
Northcode on Protest But Don’t Survive: ““…you may see the irony in seeking support for your original post from the “liars’ liar”…” I do not. Goebbels…” Mar 29, 11:13
Chas on Protest But Don’t Survive: “100% correct but…………….truth and facts are not enjoyed by many on here. It will all be fine, by magic, is…” Mar 29, 10:53
TURABDIN on Protest But Don’t Survive: “Scotland/Alba may now proudly join the nevereverlands of Québec & Catalunya among the sovereign states that might have just been…” Mar 29, 10:21
100%Yes on Protest But Don’t Survive: “The numbers at the event only prove that even within the SNP most faithful, they just simply aren’t prepared to…” Mar 29, 09:14
100%Yes on Protest But Don’t Survive: “I’m willing to bet their was more dog shit that supporters.” Mar 29, 09:08
100%Yes on Protest But Don’t Survive: “I feel sure James Kelly will disagree with what you’ve said here. The man brings nothing to the Indy cause…” Mar 29, 09:02
The Flying Iron of Doom on Protest But Don’t Survive: “Go onto Youtube and search for “If the bomb drops” which is an old episode of Panorama from 1980. I…” Mar 29, 07:51
Morgatron on Protest But Don’t Survive: “Said it for a number of years. Stu and Robin to to lead us to independence. Come on guys. You…” Mar 29, 07:35
Sven on Protest But Don’t Survive: “Mark Beggan @ 21.49. I recall it particularly well as I was working in and around both RN Coulport &…” Mar 29, 07:08
Sven on Protest But Don’t Survive: “Big Jock. “John has a secret plan.” Ah, if only some kind person would tell him what the plan is…” Mar 29, 06:56
Mark Beggan on Protest But Don’t Survive: “Vietnam war documentary. I recommend The Ten Thousand Day War. An American documentary made in the 1970’s.” Mar 29, 06:54
Mark Beggan on Protest But Don’t Survive: “Saint JFK! Not the mad shagger with the sexual appetite of a rabid dog? This war has been raging since…” Mar 29, 06:01
Young Lochinvar on Protest But Don’t Survive: ““Arrogance, ignorance and hubris” of the decision makers and Presidents involved.. (And yes that includes saint JFK).. An interesting summary…” Mar 29, 04:45
James on Protest But Don’t Survive: “Working class hero Wilma Flintsone’s just not worth wasting time on, cut and paste is all she’s worth; Utter bollocks…” Mar 29, 02:47
Young Lochinvar on Protest But Don’t Survive: “GF Lose the woke crap and Messr McCrone pointed the way decades ago. It’s not the publics fault so many…” Mar 29, 02:05
Derek on Protest But Don’t Survive: “May I introduce you to the concept of the question mark?” Mar 29, 00:24
sarah on Protest But Don’t Survive: “@ George Ferguson at 7.43 p.m. “There is no movement” I belong to a three pro-independence groups and people in…” Mar 28, 23:30
George Ferguson on Protest But Don’t Survive: “@Bilbo There is no reply button on your post for me to press. I am not an advocate for Reform.…” Mar 28, 22:31
Mark Beggan on Protest But Don’t Survive: “40 years ago this year the Chernobyl rain fell on Scotland.” Mar 28, 21:49
Mark Beggan on Protest But Don’t Survive: “We demand George’s best post gets reposted. I really want to read it now.” Mar 28, 21:48
