Wednesday, August 13, 2014

I am pleased the party will take no further action against David Ward

The Yorkshire Post reports:
The Liberal Democrats have said they will take no further action against a Yorkshire MP who suggested he would have fired rockets into Israel. 
Bradford East MP David Ward faced the prospect of party disciplinary measures after he took to social media site Twitter to support Palestinians in the Gaza conflict. 
Mr Ward had said: “The big question is - if I lived in Gaza would I fire a rocket? -probably yes.” 
Now Lib Dem chief whip Don Foster has said no further action will be taken after Mr Ward apologised for any offense (sic).
I am pleased to hear it.

I gave my own view on this blog at the time David sent his tweet. He was being foolish - whatever Gaza about it is not about him - but also making the serious point that military action of the sort undertaken by Israel can be counterproductive.

Don Foster's decision is a blow to those who comb Twitter and the wider web in the hope of finding something they can claim to be offended by and then demand action.

It is also a blow to those in the Liberal Democrats whose chief activity is calling for other people to be thrown out of the party.

2 comments:

Frank Little said...

Her Majesty's Media have become much more sensitive over the years. I see from Jeremy Thorpe's biography on the liberal history website that at the 1966 Liberal assembly, he called for V-Bombers to attack Rhodesia. I recall some derision but not calls for him to be booted out of the party.

asquith said...

"Liberal" "Democrats" who make no reaction when their representatives to do this, but can't unite behind someone like Maajid Nawaz in what is self-evidently a struggle for liberal and democratic values? It is a problem. No thanks.