7 Comments

• Big Mak 16th Sep '08 - 2:41pm

  Adrian, what a Muppet you are!
  Yes Mark can be a little in your face(not that I am Mr background) but to assault him over this paper shows you are unfit to carry on as an MP regardless.

  We all get angry (me more than most) but never do we attack people. Yes it may be your job that he is saying is in trouble, but I didn’t see any Lehman Brothers staff attacking each other yesterday!

  Sorry but he should be made an example of and the whip withdrawn.
  If all you can do is attack someone that put you under scrutiny then you are a pathetic excuse for a public servant.

  I personally hope you get your ass kicked(metaphorically) come the next GE…that would be Karma!

• Laurence Boyce 16th Sep '08 - 3:18pm

  I’m guessing that the report in question was this one (pdf), in which the authors rated Sanders as “Tory Threat: High.” Perhaps they should have given him a “Twat Factor: High” as well.

  Mark, please feel free to tell us exactly what happened!

• Anonymous 16th Sep '08 - 7:58pm

  I don’t think I’ve ever been as shocked by a news article as when I saw this on the beeb this morning.

  I’ve known Adrian for many years, and the one thing I have never, ever, ever seen him as is a violent man. In fact I can’t say I’ve ever even seen him get particularly cross.

  Adrian is, however, diabetic. I do have to wonder if his outburst was sugar related. That is not to excuse unacceptable behaviour- he shouldn’t have done it. It would be a great shame, though, if we lost a great, hard working local MP with 11 years service over one slip in judgement.

• Antony Hook 17th Sep '08 - 1:06am

  Adrian Sanders is a good man who won a seat for the Liberal Democrats by hard work.

  I don’t think any of us should comment, certainly not when we haven’t heard both sides of the story. A good MP does not deserve trial by blog.

• Big Mak 17th Sep '08 - 9:17am

  Antony there are eye witnesses to the event who are “neutral” and it seems Adrian was totally at fault.
  Sorry mare but a good MP should keep self control, especially at a public party event.
  He should apologise not just to Mark but to the party at large for behaving as such an imbecile.
  No matter what the facts are to attack someone is unacceptable.

• Julian H 17th Sep '08 - 12:52pm

  Hello Anthony,

  I entirely agree that people should not jump to conclusions – yet blogs allow both sides to be presented, and it is now two days since the incident. Adrian Sanders is more than free to contradict my report if he feels it is inaccurate.

  It’s worth noting that the press office released this statement:

  “Adrian Sanders MP has offered Mark Littlewood a full, written and unreserved apology for his conduct.

  On that basis, Mr Littlewood will not be involving the legal authorities.”

  This seems to be a confession of culpability and the latter part regarding legal authorities supports my point that this was not just a minor “kerfuffle”.

  I don’t want to labour on about this, but I will stand by my account of the incident.

• Steve Comer 17th Sep '08 - 8:12pm

  Some are making light of this, but I too was a witness and confirm that Julian’s account is accurate. I was handing out leaflets for a lunchtime fringe I was chairing for my Trade Union (PCS), when Adrian Sanders pushed past me, almost knocking me over. He grabbed Mark Littlewood by the throat, and shook him, Mark then fell backwards over a low wall. . Following the attack I stood between Adrian and Mark to prevent a repetition. Stewards and Bournemouth Centre security staff then intervened, and I understand the incident was recorded on CCTV.
  To dismiss this as a ‘kerfuffle’ is inaccurate and dishonest. I see that a written apology has been accepted, so that should suffice, and if it was a case of ‘red mist’ then that has probbaly been admitted. However this sort of behaviour is unacceptable and as Liberal Democrats we should say so.