On Tuesday, Conservative blogger, publisher and LBC radio presenter Iain Dale hit the headlines when he took on anti-nukes protestor Stuart Holmes, who’d annoyed him by insistently trying to get in shot while ITV’s Daybreak programme interviewed his latest high-profile author, Damian McBride. (See Iain Dale unilaterally disarms anti-nukes protester in front of TV cameras.) Iain immediately blogged his justification, but after the police became involved, he decided to apologise and has today accepted a police caution. He’s now issued a Statement and Apology, recanting his actions:
Following the incident on Brighton seafront on Tuesday morning, I have today voluntarily attended Brighton police station where I accepted a police caution. The police have informed me they now regard the matter as closed. I want to thank them for the fair and courteous way they have dealt with me throughout.
But above all I want to issue this public apology for my behaviour.
I want to apologise and say sorry to Stuart Holmes, who is a passionate campaigner and well known to everyone who attends party conferences and was perfectly entitled to do as he did on Tuesday in trying to get attention for his causes. It was totally out of character for me to react to him in the way I did.
I also want to apologise for the blogpost I wrote after the incident. It was full of absurd bravado and in the heat of the moment I behaved in a frankly idiotic way.
I have embarrassed not only myself but my family and my work colleagues and I apologise to them. … having accepted my guilt, I feel I should make some sort of reparation to Mr Holmes. I will pay for a new placard for him and also make a donation to a charity of his choice.
* Stephen was Editor (and Co-Editor) of Liberal Democrat Voice from 2007 to 2015, and writes at The Collected Stephen Tall.
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8 Comments
“I feel I should make some sort of reparation to Mr Holmes. I will pay for a new placard for him and also make a donation to a charity of his choice.”
A packet of doggy chocs for the poor dog wouldn’t go amiss as well. He/she must have been terrified, being pulled into the mêlée via its lead…
Might I suggest that he has probably accepted a caution for battery, rather than assault?
Stephen, do you regret the tone of your original article reporting the assault?
I only realised today that the demonstrator was our old friend Stuart Holmes who used to turn up outside Liberal conferences with a very large bicycle, to protest against cigarettes. The last time I saw him was at the Liverpool spring conference when he was rudely ejected from within the security ring by over-zealous police – by which time he had found God. Now he’s found Nukes, an altogether more appropriate cause.
It’s a long time since we used to smuggle him into the glee club!
Tony
Having myself been in Brighton for much of this week I’m pleased to hear that it’s safe to walk along the Prom again without fear of being wrestled to the ground by a Tory blogger.
Always good to see members of the Nasty Party being cautioned by the police for bad behaviour!
“Tony Greaves 26th Sep ’13 – 5:38pm
I only realised today that the demonstrator was our old friend Stuart Holmes who used to turn up outside Liberal conferences with a very large bicycle, to protest against cigarettes. ”
Ah! I remember his greatest hit!:
“The BBC. The BBC.
They’re promoting cigarettes on the BBC.
They don’t give a damn about you and me.
They’re promoting cigarettes on the BBC”
You have to marvel at the class based assumptions which underpin so much of justice (and much else besides) in Britain. Thug in suit with strong political, media and business connections assaults some crusty with a placard: accepts a police caution. Whereas if the crusty with a placard had assaulted the well connected suit, the crusty would have been subject to the full rigour of the criminal justice system.
Oh dear, Iain Dale is such an unpleasant person, who should not be accepted in ‘polite society’. His actions and words, both past and present, support my assertion.