Lord Rennard

[aeolium]

There were letters today, but I can't find them online.

Here perhaps:

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/jan/21/hand-wringing-and-harrassment

[Serial_Apologist]

So: Lord Rennard has now admitted invading the space of three Liberal Democrat members and written to apologise to them, this being in his estimation the extent of his misbehaviour. Two out of the three of them have, I understand, refused to accept, and called on Nick Clegg to expel Rennard from the Party.

[jean]

Why is he so valuable to the party? That's what I want to know.

[Serial_Apologist]

Why is he so valuable to the party? That's what I want to know.

He's a major funder, jean.

[french frank]

He's a major funder, jean.

No, I don't think it's anything to do with his 'value' to the party, but he was a major figure in the Liberal party's campaigning for donkey's years. This from c. 2010(?)

"Chris Rennard is not a name familiar with many outside the Westminster village. But he is probably the most formidable and feared political campaigner of the last 20 years. It was he who invented the concept of “pavement politics”. It was he who masterminded countless Liberal Democrat by-election victories..."

http://www.totalpolitics.com/print/160427/in-conversation-with-chris-rennard.thtml

Clearly, he doesn't have that value now, but for many Liberals he was central to most of the party's local election successes and provided the 'text-book' strategies.

And he did threaten to sue the party if he was expelled which gives pause for thought. 'Fundraising' has been a latter-day office role. He was a lad from Liverpool who got a life peerage, not some wealthy aristocrat with rich contacts.

[amateur51]

And he did threaten to sue the party if he was expelled which gives pause for thought. 'Fundraising' has been a latter-day office role. He was a lad from Liverpool who got a life peerage, not some wealthy aristocrat with rich contacts.

And he did cross a line in this personal behaviour with women and has almost fessed up and almost apologied but not before denying, accusing and generally threatening the Party should it take any effective action.

His continued presence could be seen as polluting the brand and he should go. Lord Steel & Sir Ming or whoever need to 'have a word' (in Thatcher's time what Tory MPs feared most was when The Enforcer, Willie Whitelaw, turned up in his blue suit!).

"Oh no, not the comfy chair!"

[french frank]

"Oh no, not the comfy chair!""

:-D

Steel seems to have been very weak/lacking leadership - Rennard might have been the necessary heavyweight. Both he and Clegg ought to do the 'honourable thing' but it's amazing how few do.

As I have said elsewhere, it's the duty of leaders to take full responsibility for failures. It's what leaders do. But the more they appear to be personally to blame, the less likely they are to go.

My hero was Roy Jenkins who resigned as SDP leader after a slightly disappointing general election result.

[jean]

...He was a lad from Liverpool...

Well I never knew that!

[amateur51]

:-D

Steel seems to have been very weak/lacking leadership - Rennard might have been the necessary heavyweight. Both he and Clegg ought to do the 'honourable thing' but it's amazing how few do.

As I have said elsewhere, it's the duty of leaders to take full responsibility for failures. It's what leaders do. But the more they appear to be personally to blame, the less likely they are to go.

My hero was Roy Jenkins who resigned as SDP leader after a slightly disappointing general election result.

Steel was very off-hand and naive about Cyril Smith, I thought

"We're a political party, not a detective agency!"

You would have thought that the Thorpe affair might have taught him something.

[Serial_Apologist]

Steel was very off-hand and naive about Cyril Smith, I thought

"We're a political party, not a detective agency!"

You would have thought that the Thorpe affair might have taught him something.

What I find utterly staggering though is Shirley Williams's claim that the media have blown the issue out of proportion. She lost her last vestiges of credibility for me when she joined Owen & co in the SDP, yet always gets wheeled out by the Beeb as one of the ageing voices of eternal wisdom.

[french frank]

What I find utterly staggering though is Shirley Williams's claim that the media have blown the issue out of proportion.

Would it not be possible for the media to blow such an issue out of proportion? I ask out of interest.

[amateur51]

Would it not be possible for the media to blow such an issue out of proportion? I ask out of interest.

Indeed it would but I'm surprised to find a woman of considerable experience trotting out this line - even David Steel hasn't gone this far.

[jean]

Lord Rennard gets Lib Dem apology for botched disciplinary process

What a farce!

[P. G. Tipps]

Lord Rennard gets Lib Dem apology for botched disciplinary process

What a farce!

The whole thing is a farce. When you actually read what the noble Lord Rennard is supposed to have done to these ladies one doesn't know whether to laugh or cry.

It appears he may have been a cad and a bounder in his behaviour towards these ladies but that seems to have been about it, and that's even assuming the allegations are true, as these have never been actually proven.

The good Baroness Williams of Crosby got it dead right when she said the whole thing had been blown up out of all proportion.

[jean]

As you're not one of the ladies concerned, your opinion is of no interest or relevance.