Here’s the Press Association report of Baroness (Jenny) Tonge’s BBC interview following her resignation this week over controversial remarks about the future of Israel:
Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Tonge has claimed her party leader Nick Clegg acted “hastily” in quickly disowning her after she said Israel “would not be there forever”. She was forced to give up the party whip after the Deputy Prime Minister told her to apologise or resign hours after her comments to students at Middlesex University were revealed.
During a talk at the university, she claimed Israel would “reap what it has sown” if the United States decided to withdraw its support, telling students the country “would not be there forever”.
She was asked on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme if she thought Mr Clegg was justified in disowning her. Baroness Tonge replied: “I think (he acted) very hastily and I think ill-advisedly. He’s going to have a lot of flak about it, I do know that. Of course, I always have an enormous amount of flak and I am quite used to that. But I have also had an enormous amount of support.”
The peer – twice fired from the frontbench previously for anti-Israel outbursts – said she stood by her remarks.
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17 Comments
“Her” party leader? There was speculation that she’d quit the party too. Is that true?
“He’s going to have a lot of flak about it, I do know that. ” How self-important. I don’t think anybody is going to so much as mention it to Clegg after a few days. It (and she) will be completely forgotten.
“The peer – twice fired from the frontbench previously” I must say, if Clegg deserves any criticism at all, it’s for not learning the lesson of the past two times. Are we really so desperate for talent in the Lords that we have to keep giving a job to somebody who has so frequently demonstrated that she is a liability?
Advice, from Jenny Tonge, on considered statements and avoiding controversy.
Thanks but no thanks.
I think the line is: she would say that, wouldn’t she?
…no facts, just more empty self-justifying threats.
It would perhaps have been better if she were more humble and contrite, since it is she who ‘is reaping what she has sown’ and clearly now ‘will not be there forever’. Accuracy counts, and when the Baroness Tonge shoots her mouth off the only targets she hits are her own feet.
For those of us who hope politics can achieve coherence, forcing her resignation is a step in the right direction. And the more she says on the matter the more my distaste for her barnacled opinions grow.
One thing’s for sure, she certainly doesn’t help her own cause!
Jenny is right. Well said Jenny.
“Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Tonge has claimed her party leader Nick Clegg acted “hastily” in quickly disowning her after she said Israel “would not be there forever”.”
To be accurate, she said Israel “is not going to be there for ever in its present form“.
And no-one who wants a two state solution can deny that.
Neither of course, can anyone who wants a sustainable one state solution. Most of us know that Israel has to change course radically in order to live sustainably with its neighbours.
Tim13 – well said. A non-sectarian Palestine with equal rights for all religions and ethnic groups was always the policy of the Young Liberals. Sure, it’s not going to happen any day soon, but a two-state solution merely entrenches existing divisions.
Jenny Tonge’s statements make the LibDems seem like a party that habours or tolerance extremists.
Nothing has really happened to her. She has just lost the Whip.
Tonge is still a member of the LibDems and can use her freedom of speech when she likes.
In fact, I wish she would give more speeches on this topic and allow her views to be critiqued.
Her conspiratorial notions deserve hearty open debate and open criticism.
Tonge’s statement was fine, it is her own personal opinion. Nick Clegg seems to be wearing his conservative hat as of late, if he continues on this path he will lose his party.
@Soupy One:
“Jenny Tonge’s statements make the LibDems seem like a party that habours or tolerance extremists.”
Do you really mean that? You think it’s the place for people like you?” I doubt that, somewhat.
The question here is not Israel, its about which and what sort of opinions can be expressed publicly while holding the party whip. The criticisms quoted by the Guardian were 1. that the comments were “disproportionate” which might also imply that they were intemperate, (reap what they have sown) and 2. that they were in themselves offensive in that they implied that Israel itself (not any particular policy or action or occupation of other territory) should not exist as a state despite a UN resolution and international peace treaties.
I take into account what other posters have said about the context and unquoted portions of the speech but it seems to me that Lady Tongue’s opinions would have lost none of their strength while issuing an “apology” or “clarification” that addressed these points. If she did not want to do that then that is her deliberate decision.
@Chris
“To be accurate, she said Israel “is not going to be there for ever in its present form“.”
Are you sure about that? Of course she has a history of “shooting from the hip” and may have said broadly the same thing twice, but the clip I have seen has her saying this (precisely):
“Beware Israel! Israel is not going to be there forever in its present performance.”
“its present performance” – What on earth does that mean?
OK so Jenny’s comments were a little over the top but what has happened to our respect for free speech and debate in the party. I regret that she has had the party whip removed from her. It’s all a bit…… illiberal!
To those suggesting the ultimatum was somehow illiberal, no-one has denied her right to free speech. What is denied is her ability to represent the party while spouting those views – and let’s not try to molly coddle the good Baroness, she knew exactly what she was saying and the controversy it would cause (She is not a virgin debutant to this ball, after all). Clegg offered her the opportunity to reel the comments back in, and had she taken that and stayed on the bench Clegg would have taken a whole heap of attacks for allowing her to remain. There are certain things you have to accept when you take a post represeting the party and that is applying a modicum of moderation to your comments. She was unable or unwilling to do this, and so her continuation as a party representative was impossible – she has not, as far as I am aware, been excluded from the party, and nor should she.
Simon
She was quoted in the press as having said “in its present form”, but certainly in the video she appears to say “in its present performance.” Perhaps she “misspoke.”
Either way, she was making some qualification, so it’s misleading to remove it when reporting her words, even if you don’t understand what she meant.
@Leekliberal
I think the problem is this is just the latest in a long litany of similarly ill-advised comments from Jenny Tonge.
For example, my Council Group has Standing Orders which provide for Disciplinary Procedure sanctions (up to exclusion) which may be applied if “a member …. brings the Party into disrepute by their words or actions”. I don’t regard that as illiberal.