Alex Carlile has rejected any suggestion his public support for the intelligence agencies may have been influenced by his business relationship with one of the UK’s ex-spy chiefs. Speaking to the Guardian he said:
My relations with former intelligence chiefs have at times involved criticism…Our business relationship developed for reasons totally unconnected with Sir John (Scarlett) having been chief of MI6.
You can read the full Guardian article here.
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14 Comments
Carlile is a liability to the reputation of the party. He seems to stand for everything the party stands against and I honestly would want the whip withdrawn from him.
This man should not be in the party.
Another article in LDV bashing Lord Carlile, who was a Liberal MP long before many people posting on here were even born.
I can’t see anything that brings the party into disrepute. Lib Dems will look daft if they kick someone out for liking the secret service a bit too much (arguably).
Alex is not a perfect Lib Dem, but then I’ve never met one. However, he fought for transsexual rights in as an MP long before they were on the political agenda of all but a few activists. He has also worked for reform in prisons and has worked to highlight the mistreatment of Children in Detention for the Howard League. Some may want to dump him because they do not agree with his judgements on terrorism and how to handle it, but anyone who wants to dump him on that one issue has to consider where they would stop.
“Helen Tedcastle 4th Nov ’15 – 6:09pm
Another article in LDV bashing Lord Carlile, who was a Liberal MP long before many people posting on here were even born.”
In what way is the original article here “bashing Lord Carlile”? We’ve published his reaction to a story in a national newspaper only – we haven’t even republished the accusations in any detail.
It would be remiss of us not to allude to such an article on a major figure in the party.
And I was born long before Alex Carlile was an MP!
When I heard Lord Carlile on the Today programme , I did feel very strongly that he didn’t sound very liberal. I was only thankful that he wasn’t introduced as a Lib Dem.
That, of course, is no reason for not being a 100% Lib Dem. But…how or whether his business interests influenced what he said on the Today programme (as a Lib Dem) is extremely important.
I’m not sure it is possible for anyone apart from Lord Carlile himself to answer that, and that is why parties like the Lib Dems who believe in transparent and open government need to have rules for their representatives – specifically about the full declaration of interests.
As a Lib Dem I would want to know whether Lord Carlile spoke on the Today programme as a Lib Dem or as a security consultant.
The problem is that Lord Carlile’s recent political record is so dire that simply re-printing is counts as “bashing” him!
Worth pointing out that this firm is fully disclosed in the members Register of Interests
Let me see if I have this right. Sir John Scarlet who chaired the ‘Joint “Intelligence” Committee’ which concluded on the basis of a single unreliable source (and despite a contrary assessment from the Defence Intelligence Staff) that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction which could be released within 45 minutes when in fact Iraq had no such weapons earns more than £100,000 a year for providing his advice. I can only conclude that the careers advice service at my school was seriously lacking in not pointing in me in the direction of this type of opportunity.
former politicians and former senior civil servants seem to use their past experience to do well in “consultancy” not just lib dems but the recent TV programme showed Straw and Rifkind.
The real question is are they any use to their clients. Is their experience relevant. are there other sources the clients could use. seems in many cases there are questions over value for money. private industry seems rather too quick to use these ex politicians.
Richard
I am interested in this report from the ‘Defence Intelligence Staff’, can you give me the name of the publication (and the ISBN if it is not online) so that I might read it?
In the light of what has happened last night in Paris, I for one am glad Alex Carlisle is a Lib Dem. Our diversity is our strength and we need to listen more and condemn less.
We need security at borders even more.
As I stated, it would be mayhem on Euro Star, on flying, and other forms of transport that takes others across borders.
I think security protects me, and others when fully in place. Prevents trafficking and other forms of crime.
Alex, was involved in controlling the people trafficking issue, children were among those being sold. A very intelligent legal mind, he should know what is right from wrong.