The parents of two young women linked to Angus MacNeil have released a statement saying the story was "exaggerated and inaccurate". They go on to say...
"The story, as reported, contained substantial and substantive inaccuracies and
misquotations, and even with such inaccuracies clearly had no basis for the
level of salaciousness which its sensational headline maliciously
suggested."
You can see the revealing stories in the Hebidean Times HERE and Stornoway Today HERE. I wonder if the Sunday Mail and other media will give this updated version of events the same prominence as the racier stories in today's papers?
34 comments:
"The parents of two young women linked to Angus MacNeil have released a statement saying the story was "exaggerated and inaccurate"."
Do they really believe that or are they trying to protect their daughters' honour?
It amazes me that after all the spin and lies that have come out of this government that the media still falls for (or is instructed to report) this blatant smear.
The first link, to the Hebridean Times, seems to be dead, though it way just be overloaded from unexpected attention.
But note that it is to the free web hosting service 150m.com, a pretty brutal place which should not be approached without a good firewall and popup blocker.
Good. Perhaps, now we can get back to the cash for honours inquiry...
Does this mean that the gloves are off?
The media have sat upon at least two stories that I know of featuring New Labour politicians at the highest level, because of reasons such as the damage to the reputation and feelings of third parties. Anyone with Google can find these out and it is to the credit of the media that self-restraint is shown.
It is a shame that the Daily Record/Sunday Mail tabloid has trodden a less cautious line and that the reputations of these two girls have been thrown to the wind in a pathetic attempt at a revenge hatchet-job.
jess the dog: I am not sure it's to the credit of the media that they suppress scandal about Labour politicians. They exercised no such restraint when the Tories were in power.
Give us a clue. What should we type in our google box?
I see the Hebridean Times notes that the parents of the girls state that 'someone tipped off the reporter'. I wonder if that someone might just be a New Labour politician worried at their likely drubbing in the forthcoming Scottish elections.
Sorry, run this past me again. Macneil has admitted to a story that now doesn't stack up?
So what did happen, and where did it happen? Why is Macneil admitting to a falsehood? Magnanimity?
I suspect the discrepancies are to hide the source, not the truth.
The "Hebridean Times" actually "Hebrides News" is simply a website run by a local stringer. It is not authoritative in any way, shape or form.
anon 9:11 pm The "Hebridean Times" actually "Hebrides News" is simply a website run by a local stringer. It is not authoritative in any way, shape or form.
It does however appear to be a little more accurate in its reporting than the Sunday Mail!
9.08pm Anonymous
This commenter seems to be on the money. Are we expected to believe that MacNeil would fess up to and apologise for something that was not as reported. I know he was pissed at the time but...
Will these desperate acts never cease? It's like Labour are commiting a long drawn out hare-kiri. I know who I'm betting on getting a majority in the next generals!
jess the dog: I am not sure it's to the credit of the media that they suppress scandal about Labour politicians. They exercised no such restraint when the Tories were in power.
Give us a clue. What should we type in our google box?
Apparently one former minister made a genuine slip-up regarding the age of consent of a partner in his younger days....due to legislative changes he would be unlikely to make the same mistake again, this somewhat narrows it down! I found this somewhere on the internet ages ago, if true it would appear to be not worthy of comment.
Indymedia covered the more well-known scandal and it has been alluded to in the UK papers on at least one occasion. The circumstances were tragic rather than scandalous, so discretion is warranted in my opinion.
Can anyone translate this:
http://inbhirnarann.blogspot.com/2007/04/iomairt-cleasan-salach-aghaidh-aonghais.html ?
why did he appologise if it wasnt as it was reported?
BBC TV Scotland Teletext has no mention of any correction/retraction, although they featured the original story.
Probably waiting for guidance from the Labour Party on what to say.
Mark, not terribly exciting I'm afraid, but here's a rough translation anyway:
"Without doubt the Sunday Mail is a Labour newspaper, isn't it? Isn't it strange that such a story about the Nationalist MP should appear at this time? Iain Dale is one of the most reputable bloggers around and here are his thoughts on the matter to date"
He had a bit of a cuddle on the quilt with two game young lassies.
None of us has ever done such a thing!
I'm shocked.
Stool of repentance, or hell.
Or whatever. Yawn.
Can anyone translate this: iomairt-cleasan-salach-aghaidh-aonghais
"Smear campaign against Angus"
It's basically translating Iain's title, the post content summarises Iain's post and points out that the Sunday Mail is a Labour paper.
Still no retractions/corrections in the Scottish media this morning despite your blog at 6.03 pm yesterday evening Iain.
You can draw your own conclusions.
McNeill has apologised to his family for being caught in cuddles with two young women - young enough to be his own children though old enough to know better. This has been covered by Channel 4 News and BBC News which are hardly in the rabid Mail league. The latter being outed as systematically right wing by JailhouseLawyer only a day or two ago.
Is anyone going to answer the question?
Why did he confess if this is just a Labour smear operation?
Honest to god! You people will believe anything that fits your world view!
My understanding of it is that the incident did not actually occur in Shetland at all, one of the girls never having been there in her puff.
The location and other details were changed in a feeble attempt to avoid the leaker's identity being discovered (fat chance - it'll come out).
Councillor Nicolson in Stornoway seems to know more about it...ask him!
http://angusnicolson.blogspot.com/
The convenience of the timing of this story is suspicious, but as noted above, nobody is denying "something" happen. Something that shows Mr McNeil in a poor light.
What the tale does seem to demonstrate is the depths to which some journalists (and their editors?) are prepared to plumb in pursuit of a story.
One has to wonder if they aren't sore at losing their "least trusted profession" status to the politicians and aren't trying to get that tarnished crown back.
The Hebridean Times (http://www.hebrides.150m.com/page112.html) is reporting fears of a vendetta against Angus MacNeil leading to the Special Branch sweeping his Westminister office for surveilance devices. Similar story in the Scotsman (scotsman.com) the Sun and other newspapers.
Someone tell Angus MacNeil not to go walkies in the woods.
Most men his age would jump at the chance of a bit of action with two girls their age, so I don't know what the fuss is about really.
Imagine if they'd been lads though!
It wasn't the Special Branch following Angus, it was the red-tops watching him and his PA.
Mark Williams asks Can anyone translate this?
Not for you.
Saor Alba Gus @ http://1820.org.uk
mark williams:
Not a great deal in it. A line by line translation
Uill gun teagamh ‘s e paipear naidheachd Làborach a th’ ann an Sunday Mail nach e?
Well without doubt the Sunday Mail is a Labour paper, isn't it?
Nach neònach gun do nochd sgeulachd mu dheidhinn a’ buill pàrlamaid nàiseantach aig an àm seo.
Isn't it strange that this story about the Nationalist member of parliament shows up now.
‘S e aon de na blogairean politeagach as cliùiteach a ghabhas ann an Iain Dale, seo a bheachd air cùisean gu ruige seo.
Iain Dale is one of the most admired political bloggers, here's his opinion of the matter so far.
The politically painful part of the story, about getting it on with a 17 and an 18 year old girl, appears to be substantially true. Pointing out that the Sunday Mail is a piece of crap won't change that.
Really, is it a dirty tricks campaign if it's true? Let's not nitpick - A married man with 3 children was in a hotel room with two teenagers, all were drunk and everyone's hands were wandering.
Sounds like effective campaigning on Labour's part to me.
Best for him to apologize for preying upon teenage girls and move on.
You load of Tory tossers. Like Tories wouldn't be onto this like rats up a drainpipe if it were a Labour or Lib Dem MP who turned up doing "other stuff I don't want anyone to know about" with two teenagers just two weeks before his wife gave birth, and 10 weeks after being elected by a teeny 6,000 voters in the Western Isles.
The man was working as a PRIMARY SCHOOL teacher at the time.
Gailic lesson HERE.
Are you trying to protect Angus Iain because he may defect to Tories? SNP and Tories are plotting to link in a set adrift Scotland? Because you really are trying to fan the flames while protesting the other way? (Clever) Or a story is about to break (and not one from 1982) of Tory infidelities with youngsters? Which is it?
You really cannot pretend there is not some news value in the story from your friends at the Mail.
As it's from the Mail it's not quite true, natch, so think twice before stealing one of their exclusives about Labour again will you?
The girls chose to talk with the press. And besides they are not the ones in hot water. They're allowed to get drunk and pile into bed with an apparently single man. And they were too drunk to have full sex. Where's the harm? The man on the other hand was a complete idiot, a cad and a bounder. Using drink to entrap young women etc etc.
All these protests are only adding fuel to the fire. I didn't blog it at all until you started to protest Iain.
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