David Steel Suspended By Liberal Democrats Over Cyril Smith Remarks

[naomi24]

//The Liberal Democrats have suspended former leader David Steel over remarks he made to a child abuse inquiry about the late MP Cyril Smith.

Lord Steel said he asked Smith in 1979 about claims he abused boys at a Rochdale hostel in the 1960s.

He said he came away from the conversation "assuming" that Smith had committed the offences but claimed it was "nothing to do with me".//

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-47573243

Speechless!

[retrocop]

That's politics and what the lust for power does. Party before all else.
I always thought he was a weasel.

[Ken4155]

You would have thought Steel would have lied to the enquiry. I can't believe (though i watched him do it) that he sat there and said that he didn't realise that Smith was still abusing boys and that, as the grossly obese Smith was not in the Liberal Party, it had "nothing to do with me." The suspension should soon be followed by an expulsion, imho.

[mushroom25]

here's a news report from 2014:-
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/liberaldemocrats/10796546/Cyril-Smith-admitted-spanking-and-touching-boys-but-I-let-him-stay-says-Lord-Steel.html

odd that no-one said anything at that time - although as Lord Steel pointed out, "These allegations were already very old, 10 to 15 years old. They had been investigated by the police, as Private Eye stated, and no action had been taken on them. So there was nothing more I could do".

not condoning, but why the furore only now, many years after the event?

[youngmafbog]

"but why the furore only now, many years after the event?"

Seems to be the way these days. Far easier to "convict" through social/media these days. Who needs Court?

[Old_Geezer]

Terrible; but I guess there wasn't proof. If the cops investigated and then nothing... One doesn't screw one's own party on mere rumour. One might have hoped official investigations were better.

[youngmafbog]

But they found nothing, so now social/the media is used.

I for one dont like this turn of events, particularly when the accused is dead.

[grumpy01]

I would have expected better from David Steel but that’s politics I suppose.

[ToraToraTora]

Is this "go back to your constituencies and prepare for government" - Steel! PMSL! The old limp dums never fail to amuse do they!

[andy-hughes]

Old_Geezer - // Terrible; but I guess there wasn't proof. If the cops investigated and then nothing... //

We will never know - but given the fact that Smith confessed, Steele was bound to report what he had been told, not as a political leader who uses the fact that Smith was not in his party - but as a human being, and the fact that Smith belongs to the same human race.

That's all the 'justification' you need to tell someone what is going on.

[Peter Pedant]

My Lord ! My word!
what led an old man to say or admit: yeah I thought Smith was probably abusing but did nothing about it?

I mean you just keep quiet about what dead men said to you forty y ago ,

[Peter Pedant]

// The old limp dums never fail to amuse do they!//

o god I know this is AB - - but, I mean some people find humour in the er oddest places. Next we will be invited to titter about the events in Ch Ch

AB in full swing again !

[Canary42]

/// but why the furore only now, many years after the event?///

Because the Tory Press are terrified that after the recent Brexit debacle, the LibDems might gain a lot of ground, and severely reduce the Tory vote. So they're out to smear them now as well as Labour.

[agchristie]

//and became the party's leader in 1976 after the resignation of Jeremy Thorpe, who later stood trial on charges of conspiracy and incitement to murder.//

Controversy heaped on controversy...

Who's next I wonder?...

[ToraToraTora]

"Because the Tory Press are terrified that after the recent Brexit debacle, the LibDems might gain a lot of ground" - oooo Canary, you are a one! PMSL, is this the party with a regional manifesto?

[Peter Pedant]

// /and became the leader in 1976 after Jeremy Thorpe, who later stood trial for conspiracy and incitement to murder.//

and steel on hearing of C Smith thought - no I have done all that, and I am not sitting thro it all again

I have had a few "been there-done that and not again" moments....no indeedy.

[Patsy33]

Years later, when Cyril Smith became a member of the Liberals, still nothing was said. In fact, David Steel, recommended that Smith, should have knighthood.....

[Peter Pedant]

nice to see someone finding humour in child abuse....
any one know any good Michael Jackson 'jokes'?

[agchristie]

//any one know any good Michael Jackson 'jokes'?//

No,but I kid you not,the next programme after the newsflash confirming his death was Andrew Neill's 'This Week'.His main guest was none other than Gen. Sir Mike Jackson....

Extraordinary coincidence I thought.

Anyway,I digress...

[-Talbot-]

Lord Steel, 80, told the inquiry he discussed the allegations with Smith in 1979, after an article appeared in Private Eye.

Lord Steel said he had "assumed" that Smith had committed the offences,


Lord Steel also described recommending Smith for a knighthood in 1988



What The Funicular
Hang your head in shame Davis Steel.

[-Talbot-]

David*