Letters / One set of rules …
This past weekend has truly shown the gap between the political class and the voting electorate of the UK.
I think it has become clear that this is no longer an issue of the SNP simply trying to gain the upper hand; proven by the widespread calls for a re-run of the Shetland and Orkney vote from across the British Isles.
In 2010 Carmichael went into depth of the underhanded smear campaign/tactics utilised in Westminster and how he deplored the very existence of them.
“Everyone knows that politics is a robust trade, especially in an election campaign. No one would expect candidates to spend their time highlighting their opponents’ virtues but to suggest any smear is justifiable must be wrong.
“Most worryingly it betrays an attitude that I had hoped would have been eradicated by the expenses scandals of the last parliament – namely that different rules should apply to MPs than apply to the rest of the population. If Tesco tried to smear the Co-op in the same way it would soon be in trouble. Why should politics be different?”
(Extracted from the Shetland Times 2010 written by Alastair Carmichael)
The fact is that he actually admits himself that had this been in the private sector it would be a completely different story.
If I were to carry out a smear campaign on one of my employers’ rivals and then cost £1.4 million in an investigation that found I was wrong, I would have my contract terminated and be booted out on the street with it spread across the Northeast papers.
So not only did he go against his own rant of how despicable smear tactics are, he also claimed on national TV that he was unaware of where the memo had leaked from.
We the people, the electorate of the Shetland, Orkney and Scotland must now send a clear message to Westminster and the political classes that this is something we will no longer stand for.
The hard working people of Shetland and Orkney now have the chance to stand up and voice that we are sick fed up with one set of rules for us and very few for them.
#Carmichaelmustgo
Craig Johnson
Lochend
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