Share |
The truths they don't want you to read....

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Licencing Board - the morning after...

From: Iain Maciver News [mailto:news@maciver.co.uk]
Sent: 24 January 2011 16:55
To: Nigel Scott; Stornoway Gazette; Bill Lucas; West Highland Free Press; John Ross The Scotsman; Oban Times; [plus 50 others]
Cc: CNES - Members
Subject: Re: press statement
Nigel
The news story that I circulated concerning the comments by Councillor Norman Maleod is a matter of record. I did include the phrase which the nasty councillor claimed I had omitted.  Therefore, the statement you have circulated to the media is not just misleading but a dirty, big, black lie. 

For the record, neither you - a supposedly-professional communications officer - nor the supposedly-Christian councillor, even bothered to check with me about my actual wording before you fired off your defamatory slur.
I require a full apology and retraction within 48 hours, circulated to the same recipients, from you, from the councillor and from Chief Executive Malcolm Burr for allowing taxpayer-funded staff and facilities to be used for circulating libellous material that has no basis in fact.

Failing such a simple remedy, I intend to request my union that it begins legal action against the lot of you on my behalf.

Enjoy the rest of your day.
Iain Maciver


----- Original message ----- From: "Nigel Scott" <nscott@cne-siar.gov.uk
Cc: "CNES - Members" Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2011 16:17:23 -0000 
Subject: press statement
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
PRESS RELEASE
24 January 2011
Statement from Cllr Norman M Macleod:
“It is unfortunate that in some reports of my comments about a decision of the Licensing Board and Stornoway Golf Club, an important element has been missed out. Namely, that I qualified what I said with ‘according to the information we had’. In other words, I would not prejudge any decision, it would depend on the information before us. It is the duty of all Members of the Licensing Board to assess each application on its merits. This is an important part of the statement and it really is remiss of the journalist to miss it out. However, it makes it a better, though misleading, story.” 
Issued by :        Nigel Scott, Communications Officer

A fine conscience I turned out to be!

Update: I understand that the Comhairle have now withdrawn their accusation.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Readers:

What does in-com-pe-tence mean?

What does in-ep-ti-tude mean?

What does dys-func-tion-al mean?

Answers on a postcard

Dr Evadne said...

Does this mean that they are now paying attention to legal advice? :-)

j said...

The press release is still on the council website so how have the Comhairle withdrawn their accusation?

Anonymous said...

"unfortunate that in some reports"

In a rare defence of a coorie on the licensing committee he did use the word 'some'. Ian x seems to read the papers as accurately as he reports in them.

Anonymous said...

Ladies, please!

Anonymous said...

6.24 - The word 'some' by Curly is meaningless. I think if you actually spoke to the people involved you would discover it was Monday's P&J that made Curly even curlier.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad to see that the bold Iain sticks to his moral principles underlining his commitment never to embellish the odd story here and there.

No wonder the news seems so dull these days

Anonymous said...

On a highly related point. Is there any possibility that this particular software package could be installed on all computers used by the Comhairle?

Especially those used by Councillors and Licensing Board members?

This would be beneficial to the well-being and clarity of our representatives decision-making processes. And it would probably be activated more times than any virus checker on the same computers, in some cases.

Anonymous said...

Are you sure they know how to use computers? Many are rather old.

Anonymous said...

Hey, I am checking this blog using the phone and this appears to be kind of odd. Thought you'd wish to know. This is a great write-up nevertheless, did not mess that up.

- David

Anonymous said...

10:51

Not sure whether you are refering to the age of the computers or the councilors. I take it that you have spotted there must be an opening here for the Comhairle to commission someone, at great expense for at least a year, to prepare a report on the decrepitude of both.

This in turn could result in the employment of a couple of computer development officers, who would need - naturally- both a secretary and a line manager.

By jove 10:51, I think you have hit the nail on the head as far as addressing the downturn in the economy goes.
I hear Mr Cameron has an opening for someone with an ear on the ground, shall I forward an application pack?

Anonymous said...

Happy 48th birthday today Angus - hoping you'll have a quiet one or three in the Golf Club bar this Sunday to celebrate :)