Given that the election court had just found that he told a “Blatant lie”, Alistair Carmichael struck absolutely the wrong note in his statement after the case. He could have said:
“I did tell a lie, and it is something I deeply regret. I apologise to my constituents, to my family and to the people of Scotland for all the trouble my lie has caused. I have learned from it. I am grateful to the court for giving me aother chance, and I have now learned never to indulge in that kind of bad behaviour again.”
Instead, with extraordinary arrogance, Alistair said this:
“I am pleased with the decision of the court.
Although I was always confident of winning the last few months have been a difficult and stressful time for me and my family.
We have been enormously grateful for the tremendous levels of support received from local people, in both Orkney and Shetland, regardless of which political party they normally support…
This case was politically motivated. It was a deliberate attempt by nationalists to remove the last Scottish Liberal voice at Westminster, and is a mark of the unhealthy polarisation of Scottish politics since the referendum.”
Co-ordinated statements were put out by Willie Rennie and “Bomber” Tim Farron saying much the same thing. So the utter lack of any humility must have been deliberate. This is an orchestrated act of arrogance.
You will recall that I predicted that there was no way that Scotland’s deeply conservative and unionist judiciary would find against Carmichael. The reasoning behind their judgement is intellectually risible. They say that Carmichael only lied in denying a specific leak; he was therefore not making a false claim about his general character. If he had specifically stated that he never leaked he would have been making a false claim and disqualified.
Here is the pathetic “reasoning” of the judge Lady Paton:
They explained that if a candidate made a false statement that he would never leak an internal confidential memo, no matter how helpful that might be to his party, as he regarded the practice of leaking confidential information as dishonest and morally reprehensible, and he would not stoop to such tactics, when in fact that candidate had leaked an internal confidential memo containing material which was inaccurate and highly damaging to an opponent, they would be likely to conclude that the candidate had given a false statement “’in relation to [his] personal character or conduct” because he would be falsely holding himself out as being of such a standard of honesty, honour, trustworthiness and integrity that, in contrast with what others in Westminster might do, he would never be involved in such a leaking exercise.
“In the present case, when speaking to the Channel 4 interviewer, the first respondent did not make such an express statement about his personal character or conduct,” Lady Paton continued. “We are not persuaded that the false statement proved to have been made was in relation to anything other than the first respondent’s awareness (or lack of awareness) of a political machination. Accordingly we are not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the words used by the first respondent amounted to a ‘false statement of fact in relation to [his] personal character or conduct’. It follows that we are not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that an essential element of section 106 has been proved.
There are several glaring errors in this reasoning. The first is that if I denied knowledge of a murder I had in fact committed, I would be making a false statement about my general character whether or not I had added a condemnation of the morality of murder.
The second is that Lady Paton ignores the “conduct” in “false statement in relation to his character or conduct.” In denying knowledge of a leak he had in fact made himself. Carmichael was beyond any reasonable doubt making a false statement as to his conduct, even if we accept Paton’s argument it did not go to his character. Note that there is no reference to his “general” or “usual” conduct.
This is the judgement of a woman justifying a pre-determined stitch-up.
Despite al this, I would not be tremendously concerned about the result if Alistair had the decency to be a bit chastened by it. It is only because of our ridiculously undemocratic electoral system that representation is so skewed. You didn’t ought to get over 95% of the seats on 52% of the votes, and I am not sure what is gained by magnifying that other wrong. But any mixed feelings I have on those grounds are dispelled by the utterly inappropriate triumphalism the Lib Dems are displaying, as though to be found a blatant liar by a court is something to be proud of. The brass neck of it all is sickening.
I you google news peace talks, Syria, Vienna, latest, you get posts from the 30th Nov., nothing from today or yesterday or the day before. Why not? This is how the public perceives peace talks progress. Sorry neocons, you are on a ‘bombing, money for arms dealers autopilot, you are bad boys who should have no offspring’, its just not good enough.
What is the answer to the question ‘ what will happen if Assad dies?’ have there been any approaches made as to this possibility?
why are there no serious attempts to interfere with their comms?
Sorry interlopers, if Joe normal can come up with these ideas and possibilities, your stoic ‘can’t do’ is worth s..t, your news diversions are false, the dreams of an aspro Malaka, innit Habby.
Don’t try googlin’it, you get no answer.
Homs is back under Assads control.
This verdict is another painful step towards Independence.
@ Brian Fujisan. Thanks for your thoughts, hope your wee yin is thriving and making your soul jump as high as the highest mountain you ever scaled.
health and happiness to you two too.
Mary 9.46pm
You can’t do that . Are you aware that your marvellous links and research are shared and distributed on Facebook sites UK-wide . This blog is simply a ripple whose influence and posters links are distributed widely .
Mary
09/12/2015 9:56pm
It would be a shame to see you go, Mary. I hope you will reconsider.
In case you don’t: season’s greetings to you and best wishes for the future.
A good idea from Glenn. Your links are generally useful and interesting, but if they bear no immediately apparent relation to the topic at hand – which can be the case – it is not unreasonable for a mod to insist on the letter of the rules. If other posts sometimes escape that fate, well, it’s an arbitrary business.
Perhaps you might wish to consider holding off your own comments until you see the second page pop up.
Hope to see you again.
Kind regards,
John
Mary the forces of truth need you, it may be that a taqqiya tom ie sumner redstone has wormed itself into a mod position and started censoring in aid of its tribe, and a very innocent and well-meaning CM is fast asleep.
I am reminded of the line in Breaker Morant: after Lord Kitchener has told the prospective prosecutor that the Germans are only interested in South Africa because of the diamonds and the gold, the prosecutor replies, “They lack our altruism, sir.”
Even worse than the cruelty of English tyranny over the lesser breeds like my own, is the hypocritical humbuggery.
“The Irish Republic in the 1930s was an authoritarian, priest-ridden state with a President whose sympathy for the German and Italian fascist régimes was similar to that of Portuguese strongman Salazar’s…”
This presumably is an attack, not unjustified either on the de Valera regime. To put it into proper context however it is necessary to recall that de Valera’s opponents, the Anglophile Fine Gael party which was armed by Britain in the Civil War, actually sent its volunteers the Blueshirts to fight for Franco. The republicans, on the other hand fought for the Republic.
Not that you’d expect hasbara operatives to know much about Britain or Ireland. Where this came from, though, unless it was one of last year’s cheaper Christmas Crackers, is hard to understand:
“….the English are universally known and respected for their sense of duty towards their weaker brethren. Have been for centuries!”
Bevin
“The Irish Republic in the 1930s was an authoritarian, priest-ridden state with a President whose sympathy for the German and Italian fascist régimes was similar to that of Portuguese strongman Salazar’s…”
This presumably is an attack,…
_________________________
To paraphrase our NORAID sympathiser: not an attack, just an observation.
Surely you’re not contesting it, are you? If so, it is you who perhaps needs to bone up a little on Irish history, Bevin.
Bevin
Interesting to note how it used to be the case that Left used to believe in intervention in some foreign wars.
And how Zionism also received near universal support from the Left.
That was before the West clearly became a force for bad with its interventions.
Zionism benefited from the almost universal revulsion against the Holocaust after the Second World War.
But that sort of moral capital gets used up if enough wrongs are committed.
It is interesting to note that in May 1940 the Irish govt destroyed its files relating to the Irish Brigade, some 700 strong, which fought for the Nationalists (Franco) in the Spanish Civil War.
One wonders why.
It appears that of all the ethnic groupings in the United States it was the Irish-Americans who provided the most support (both moral and material) to the Nationalist forces of General Franco during the Spanish Civil War.
Irish-American Joseph Kennedy was instrumental in achieving the rejection, by the US Congress, of a bill intended to allow the export of war matériel to the legal govt of Spain (ie, to the Spanish Republicans).
Sounds as if Irish-Americans had the hots for General Franco even more than the then Irish govt itself.
Irishmen fought on both sides in the Spanish Civil War. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_involvement_in_the_Spanish_Civil_War
In 1941, the Stern Gang, led by future Israeli premier Yitzhak Shamir, offered its help — military and otherwise — to Nazi Germany. http://articles.latimes.com/1989-03-07/news/mn-330_1_stern-gang
It should not of course be inferred from an earlier post of mine that I was suggesting Mr de Valera was as bad as Portuguese strongman Mr Salazar.
What both countries – the Irish Republic (which some on here call a colony) and Portugal (which had colonies) – did of course have in common was that both were rather poor, with this perhaps providing fertile ground for authoritarian forms of govt and too much priest-power.
Interesting to note how it used to be the case that Left used to believe in intervention in some foreign wars.
In 1933, the incipient worldwide Jewish boycott of Nazi Germany, which could have brought down the Nazi government before it consolidated its power, so parlous was the state of the German economy, suffering especially from a shortage of foreign exchange, was sabotaged by the Transfer Agreement between Nazi Germany and the Jewish colony in Palestine (the Yishuv), under which large numbers of German Jews were allowed to emigrate to Palestine in return for surrendering the bulk of their assets to the German state.
Twice as many Irishmen fought in the Irish Brigade for Franco as fought in the International Brigades against him.
There were a few British men who fought for Franco but their number was dwarfed by the number of British men who fought for the Republican govt of Spain.
and too much priest-power.
Explain
Mary, i’d echo what others have said, i’m sure it’s more coincidental, some kind or arbitrary inconsistent rule enforcement (not new), i’v felt just the same. It actually heartens me that you do also.(even Criag’s been victim).
And nobody could fault you for doing just what you like. You bring an expectational amount of stuff together here. And it’s obviously important that your so attacked, constantly. Yet you still make em look like part timers.
Whatever you do. It’s fine.
The person you are questioning has made all too plain his hatred of both priests and Irish people.
Let me add my voice to those who are urging Mary to stay.
Don’t give the bastards the victory they so clearly desire, Mary.
Yea. I had that thought Lysias, but it’s clear to me who has victory anyway, and who perhaps imagines victory in a strange way.
‘There’s room for everyone at the rendezvous of victory’.
This is not the right place for this link. Nevertheless, this close analysis by Media Lens of Hilary Benn’s speech has some telling points about the UK media:
http://medialens.org/index.php?option=com_acymailing&ctrl=archive&task=view&mailid=368&key=548f408bb8765c53a5660f0cd4d98097&subid=20790-c8c6a7a9538805d47129c138c13858bc&tmpl=component
Ian..
Thanks… There is some War Mongering Debate Going on over this.. are you up for debate
Seems apt !;
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CVxTgVpXIAAaXIH.png:large
(Mary, if you do a Max, let us know where you are going)
But seriously Mary, don’t give the hypocrites & bullies the satisfaction, keep forcing them to expose their hypocrisies & lies, and to requote my recent comment to Ishmael;
“stick around, there is a touch of retributive karmic joy, if not a sense of worthwhile achievement, in making people who already hate you, hate you even more !” 😀
Sorry, the predominate ‘stitch up’ that overshadows all things servile is Britain’s submission to Pentagon orders to vitiate the Syrian army, the real ‘moderates’ that are the heart and soul of the fight to neutralise proxy terrorists expunging the state of Syria with their lives.
With Russia earnestly revealing attack coordinates to the Pentagon for air safety, RAF Tornado GR4’s have been ordered to bomb Syrian army command & control operation bases and command posts. The ‘chess board’ in RAF Akrotiri joint command HQ plainly exposes the game play to impair, undermine and seriously weaken Assad, UN decreed the legitimate and lawful head of state and naturally commander-in-chief.
That is the trick, the ‘moderate’ ruse that agent Cameron is privy and I know from the very best military knowledge. If I learn and feel certain then Russia will also get the vibes.
Deception cannot win in my book; is it that point in time the British peeps wake up to the scam with intention to purge the rapacious elite who sodomise our country?
http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafakrotiri/stationinformation/index.cfm