Friday, December 07, 2007

Peter Tatchell: Comment Is Free on Miranda Grell Case


Have just caught up with this article from Peter Tatchell. He pulls no punches. Not quite the whole truth all of the time but I'm not going to quibble. One comment on Tatchell's piece is perhaps worth noting, I've topped and tailed it:

(Grell) had two Labour running mates (one of whom a well-known gay activist) and both were prosecution witnesses against her. There was no "homophobic dirty tricks election campaign", just the actions of one very misguided woman. Election candidates are covered by an insurance company policy and it was this company that paid her defence costs and then chose not to pay her appeal costs - not the Labour Party. The Labour Party suspended her from membership; despite her claiming to be completely innocent. And whilst you constantly say that Labour defended her, she ran her own (surprisingly visible) campaign with a very small number of misguided local members whilst most of the Party ensured that the law could take its course.

FOOTNOTE: Comment if free is a Guardian blog with comments. The above is such a comment. It is not from Tatchell.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

You give the impression that that this is Tatchell's own comment rather than an anonymous comment. In fact Tatchell replied in vigorous terms.

Chris Paul said...

I do not "give the impression" that this is Tatchell. Why do you say that? It is obviously not Tatchell and it is from a regular CIF commentator AFAIK who happens to use a pen name. Which is one stage away from being anonymous like yourself.

I also provide a link to the comment. Tatchell's response is in plain view there.

Tatchell "refutes" the information that an insurance policy rather than the Labour Party was paying by linking to an Independent gossip column piece (Pandora) which I must say is not that compelling a refutation for this reader.

He doesn't really deal with the other substantive points in this comment.

Miles Barter said...

Chris
Sorry to be a tosser but your piece does imply it is Tatchell speaking.
I didn't realise it wasn't until I read the footnote.
Why not put the correction before the quote?
Just a friendly suggestion.

Anonymous said...

Andy Mayer has nailed you and the whole of the London Labour Party to the floor over Miranda Grell.

You are truely the Labour of Bollocks.

Sockpuppet

Chris Paul said...

Action you are a tosser of course - there's no getting away from that Bro - but I have now gone for belt and braces.

Merseymike said...

Lets just be thankful that she has been forced out and found guilty.

The fact that just about everyone has spoken against her and that the woman still can't bear to have the word 'gay' on her website even once says it all!

Progressive parties do not need people who are willing to use these tactics.