tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952108899218764633.post8268852968595524207..comments2024-02-28T22:03:19.609+00:00Comments on A Scottish Liberal: Willie Rennie must provide evidence of SNP-English Democrats linkAndrewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02027368242570244912noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952108899218764633.post-73341243731678668172015-01-09T23:18:42.125+00:002015-01-09T23:18:42.125+00:00Thanks for that carlifcation, Highland Cathedral.Thanks for that carlifcation, Highland Cathedral.Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02027368242570244912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952108899218764633.post-90645297534722137852015-01-09T15:55:31.638+00:002015-01-09T15:55:31.638+00:00Further to the comment by Dafydd Williams on 3rd D...Further to the comment by Dafydd Williams on 3rd December, the people who carried out the ‘fire-bombing’ belonged to Meibion Glyndŵr. There is no connection between Meibion Glyndŵr and Plaid Cymru and there never has been. The original accusation just shows how careless people can be in making accusations.<br />http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meibion_Glynd%C5%B5rHighland Cathedralhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07519428794618769856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952108899218764633.post-52110254661029831062014-12-04T00:10:41.045+00:002014-12-04T00:10:41.045+00:00Just for the record - Plaid Cymru has never been i...Just for the record - Plaid Cymru has never been involved in second home arson incidents in Wales and has consistently condemned such action. The person making those unfounded accusations should apologise. Dafydd WilliamsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952108899218764633.post-76604357129231350362012-12-30T11:53:41.214+00:002012-12-30T11:53:41.214+00:00I received this e-mail today from Robin Tilbrook o...I received this e-mail today from Robin Tilbrook of the English Democrats:<br /><br />Dear Mr Page,<br /><br />I am sorry to see that I have inadvertently used a picture which I found on the internet which you say you took.<br /><br />I am curious as to why you have attacked the English Democrats in the non specific but smeary way that you have. I suspect that you and I would not agree on many things and I have no problem with political knockabout but I would ask that you "condescend to particulars".<br /><br />Yours sincerely<br /><br />Robin Tilbrook<br />Chairman,<br />The English Democrats<br /><br /><br />My response is as follows:<br /><br />Dear Robin,<br /><br />I wasn't aware that I was attacking the English Democrats. I actually thought my piece was an attack on our Scottish leader, if attack it even was. More a criticism of his rather foolish accusations and how he chose to make them.<br /><br />I made an official complaint about Mr Rennie after his speech, although I have no idea what action was taken.<br /><br />As for smearing the English Democrats, I think that's a rather odd interpretation. Mr Rennie chose to smear you; I merely refer to "the English Democrats’ less savoury policies". No doubt you find some of our own policies such. I also refer to "some of the policies for which [you] are now renowned" - which are pretty much common knowledge and does not indicate agreement or disagreement with such policies, or in fact whether the views "for which you are renowned" are actually held by the party or simply attributed to it.<br /><br />Clearly I do not share your political views on some key issues such as the EU and immigration, just as I know Angus McNeil does not. That is not actually the point. The point I was actually making is that Mr McNeil had every right to behave in the way he did and that he should not be associated with your policy commitments because of it. Neither should our leader be attempting to make associations between the SNP and the English Democrats or making lazy attempts to associate you with the worst expressions of English nationalism.<br /><br />I suggest if you wish to complain about being smeared then you should be directing such complaints to Mr Rennie. I wonder at all that you should see fit to make any kind of comment on my supposed attack on your party given what is already "out there" and that I express agreement with some of your policies (e.g. an English parliament).<br /><br />From a personal view, I disagree with your party's policy direction, as well I might being a liberal. I would, however, defend our right to express your views and for people of all political persuasions to listen to you, attend your conference or retweet your tweets without being subjected to the kind of smears emanating form Mr Rennie. That of course was the purpose of my piece and I am sorry that you seem unable to recognise this.<br /><br />In regards the photograph, as a professional photographer I have no concerns about individuals using my photographs but would request an acknowledgement - it's the very least to expect given I make them available for anyone. <br /><br />Yours sincerely,<br /><br />Andrew Page<br /><br />Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02027368242570244912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952108899218764633.post-29032349209513354302012-10-15T21:29:25.141+01:002012-10-15T21:29:25.141+01:00Tris - quick answer...no.Tris - quick answer...no.Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02027368242570244912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952108899218764633.post-5201642090882746092012-10-15T20:49:50.078+01:002012-10-15T20:49:50.078+01:00Andrew:
I'm wondering, a few weeks on from yo... Andrew:<br /><br />I'm wondering, a few weeks on from your post, if Rennie ever made any retraction or apologised.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952108899218764633.post-76773838636471718342012-09-28T23:10:35.575+01:002012-09-28T23:10:35.575+01:00I've watched Willie Rennie for more than six y...I've watched Willie Rennie for more than six years now.<br /><br />He is first and foremost an uber Clegg-loyalist. <br /><br />He serves no other function than as an attack dog to smear the SNP.<br /><br />This dirty politics by Rennie will come back and bite him in the arse.<br /><br /><br />The Scottish Liberal Democrats should be principled and call for the cancellation of the Trident renewal; support devo-max as set out in the Steel Commission, and cooperate with the SNP to replace the council tax with a progressive local income tax.Mollynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952108899218764633.post-43009484012185960692012-09-28T20:01:06.383+01:002012-09-28T20:01:06.383+01:00"I once shaked the hand of one Tony Blair. Do..."I once shaked the hand of one Tony Blair. Doe's that make me a war criminal?"<br /><br />Yes!<br /><br />Cut your hand off!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952108899218764633.post-34752719759543064902012-09-28T13:47:15.505+01:002012-09-28T13:47:15.505+01:00I once shaked the hand of one Tony Blair. Doe'...I once shaked the hand of one Tony Blair. Doe's that make me a war criminal?a.haddowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00048206782084472309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952108899218764633.post-51511940635887670352012-09-28T12:16:42.262+01:002012-09-28T12:16:42.262+01:00RevStu and Anthony Little - agree, there is absolu...RevStu and Anthony Little - agree, there is absolutely nothing in those tweets worthy of being used in the kind of attack on the SNP made by Willie Rennie. <br /><br />He has misled conference and must apologise.<br /><br />Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02027368242570244912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952108899218764633.post-30114315723346427842012-09-28T12:15:17.236+01:002012-09-28T12:15:17.236+01:00englishpassport.com - Well, you're certainly n...englishpassport.com - Well, you're certainly not the BNP. I have to admit to not sharing the English Democrats' political philosophy but I'm not going to resort to labelling you "extremist". Words like that help nobody. <br /><br />As for Plaid Cymru's history - I am aware of some of the acts they committed in the 1970s but I'd hope they'd have moved on from that kind of strategy by now. Certainly I'm not going to defend Plaid. The purpose of my piece was to ask Willie Rennie to apologise over the smear, or else produce some evidence of the links he claimed between the SNP and (unspecified) right wing English nationalist groups in his speech.<br /><br />For what it's worth, as a liberal I also share your vision for an English parliament, albeit for different reasons. <br /><br />And would you mind crediting me for the photograph you reproduced on your blog? Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02027368242570244912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952108899218764633.post-51409408144247911942012-09-28T11:19:05.953+01:002012-09-28T11:19:05.953+01:00Tweets now in the public domain. See Wings over S...Tweets now in the public domain. See Wings over Scotland here. <br /><br />http://wingsland.podgamer.com/willie-rennie-suicide-bomber/#comment-67926<br /><br />they are, surprise surprise, completely innocuous! What is a once radical and progressive party like the "Liberal" now doing as cannon-fodder for the Lab/Con alliance?Tony Littlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02008273900618097432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952108899218764633.post-78973674438780839692012-09-28T10:17:09.977+01:002012-09-28T10:17:09.977+01:00Those devastating tweets in full:
—————————————–
...Those devastating tweets in full:<br /><br />—————————————–<br /><br />16 February 2012<br />English Democrats @EnglishVoice<br />Cameron hints at further devolved powers to Scotland should they vote to remain in the Union…as for the English, not a word was heard!<br />Retweeted by AngusBMacNeilMP<br />2:31 PM – 16 Feb 12 via Facebook • Details <br /><br />—————————————–<br /><br />English Democrats @EnglishVoice<br />Scottish independence would be good for Liverpool, Alex Salmond says in Roscoe lecture – Liverpool L http://fb.me/16vSaFf1n<br />Retweeted by AngusBMacNeilMP<br />9:28 AM – 15 Feb 12 via Facebook • Details<br /><br />—————————————–<br /><br />English Democrats @EnglishVoice<br />Congratulations to the English Darts team who have just won the Darts World Cup<br />Retweeted by AngusBMacNeilMP<br />10:35 PM – 5 Feb 12 via Facebook • Details<br /><br />—————————————–<br /><br />18th January 2012<br />English Democrats @EnglishVoice 13h<br />‘NO’ to Scots MPs Voting on English Matters http://fb.me/xNlGm8qN<br />Retweeted by AngusBMacNeilMP<br /><br />—————————————–<br /><br />16th January 2012<br />English Democrats @EnglishVoice 16 Jan<br />Amid the talk of Scottish independence, it’s now time to answer the English Question – Telegraph http://fb.me/12FpaNnge<br />Retweeted by AngusBMacNeilMP<br /><br />—————————————–<br /><br />14th October 2011<br />EnglishVoice English Democrats<br />by AngusMacNeilMP<br />OFGEM reports that energy suppliers profits have risen from £15 per customer in June to £125 today…the energy… http://fb.me/KujmFf3x<br />2 hours ago<br /><br />—————————————–<br /><br />13th October 2011<br />EnglishVoice English Democrats<br />by AngusMacNeilMP<br />As Alex Salmond warned only last year, voting for one of the LibLabCons will destroy the English Health Service. http://fb.me/FoExxTLY<br /><br />—————————————–<br /><br />11th October 2011<br />EnglishVoice English Democrats<br />by AngusMacNeilMP<br />Scottish independence will reinforce our social union http://fb.me/11BKPEM5h<br /><br />—————————————–<br /><br />10th October 2011<br />EnglishVoice English Democrats<br />by AngusMacNeilMP<br />Alex Salmond: The days of Tory PMs telling Scotland what to do are over http://fb.me/1gwUEwujV<br /><br />—————————————–<br /><br />3rd October 2011<br />EnglishVoice English Democrats<br />by AngusMacNeilMP<br />Brian Monteith: Scots unlikely to care much about conference – Scotsman.com http://fb.me/LUzDCT4C<br /><br />—————————————–<br /><br />3rd October 2011<br />EnglishVoice English Democrats<br />by AngusMacNeilMP<br />“If printing money (quantitative easing) produced wealth then counterfeiting wouldn’t be illegal”RevStuhttp://wingsland.podgamer.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952108899218764633.post-22379041137920123932012-09-28T00:03:36.720+01:002012-09-28T00:03:36.720+01:00The Englsh Democrats are a logical and respectable...The Englsh Democrats are a logical and respectable party. Only the Liberal Democrats could twist the English Democrats manifesto to be anything other then it is.<br /><br />228 English Homes in Wales were fired bombed by Plaid Cymru - now that is extreme !!!!!!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952108899218764633.post-6142759884598531952012-09-27T21:49:04.347+01:002012-09-27T21:49:04.347+01:00An Duine Gruamach - Agreed. We simply have no ide...An Duine Gruamach - Agreed. We simply have no idea what he said or why he was there. <br /><br />Tris - I too met Annabel (being her Lib Dem opponent in the 2011 election). I found her to be just as you described. That in itself says everything about Annabel as a person and absolutely nothing about my political sympathies.<br /><br />I can understand why Angus MAY have been there, especially if he was interested in the (then) developing campaign for and English Parliament or the English Constitutional Convention which the EDs supported. I would be interested Angus's explanation, but ultimately it's Willie Rennie that made the accusation (openly on national TV) and he really does have to explain how he's arrived at such a startling conclusion.<br /><br />Like you, I feel strongly that this does need clearing up. As a Lib Dem, I fear our conference has been mislead - and that's not something a party leader should be guilty of.Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02027368242570244912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952108899218764633.post-64933138132940766042012-09-27T21:08:39.550+01:002012-09-27T21:08:39.550+01:00And even then, without knowing what MacNeil actual...And even then, without knowing what MacNeil actually said, it's impossible to make any kind of condemnation for his doing so.An Duine Gruamachnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952108899218764633.post-36817166092500267792012-09-27T20:22:38.584+01:002012-09-27T20:22:38.584+01:00I too would like this cleared up. I was a bit take...I too would like this cleared up. I was a bit taken aback when I read about it on the blog one of your fellow Liberals.<br /><br />I can't imagine why they would be welcome at SNP conferences. However, what happened 5 years ago, when the EDF was little known, and seemed to be wanting the same thing for England as the SNP wants for Scotland, perhaps Angus was on a fact finding trip.<br /><br />I'd like to know what the tweets said.<br /><br />If the SNP does have some links with EDF, or course I, and most, if not all other members, would want to know.<br /><br />From what I can see their goal may have something in common with ours but their means of achieving it is very different.<br /><br />At this point I'd like to own up to, despite being firmly on the left of the political spectrum, having had a long chat with Annabel Goldie and having shaken her hand. I'd further say that I found her charming, entertaining and extremely intelligent. <br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952108899218764633.post-26787590153478201582012-09-27T19:37:28.867+01:002012-09-27T19:37:28.867+01:00Well of course Angus should have done some more re...Well of course Angus should have done some more research. I can't believe he was there at all, but five years ago the EDs were not as well known as they are now. They certainly masqueraded as a respectable "patriotic party". As you also add, the character of that party has also changed in the intervening years. <br /><br />But while I think Angus was unwise to have attended and spoken at this conference, this is far from evidence of the kind of relationship alleged by Willie. Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02027368242570244912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3952108899218764633.post-13267059667878554312012-09-27T19:28:55.492+01:002012-09-27T19:28:55.492+01:00I'm a bit surprised that Angus MacNeil went to...I'm a bit surprised that Angus MacNeil went to an English Democrat conference but that at that time in 2007 they were still outwardly respectable and had strong links to the Campaign for an English Parliament so I suppose it made sense if the creation of an English parliament was looked on as a good thing for Scotland.<br /><br />Since then the civic nationalists in the EDP who wanted to create a party in the style of the SNP have fled and have been replaced by ex-BNP members.<br /><br />Once bitten twice shy for Angus as he never went back but he should have done a little more research into the EDP before he went. Even then there were rumblings about its links to some of the more right wing elements in England.DougtheDughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02952281599715356995noreply@blogger.com