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A Britain We All Call Home > Published by Will Straw, February 5th 2010 at 4:06 pm

Liddle’s BNP friends

Rod Liddle’s facebook friends include a British National Party supporter, Barry Rogers, whose profile picture is a BNP general election banner.

Last night Rod Liddle joined the facebook group , “If Rod Liddle becomes editor of The Independent, I will not buy it again” and posted two messages:

Proud to be your latest member. Can I just point out that your letter to Mr Lebedev is defamatory, in quite a big way? I think I ought to warn you about that.
Also, Craig – learn to spell, you idiot.
And Samantha – I did not go far enough on cats.

Actually, looking at some of the posts here, there is an awful lot which is defamatory, not least “climate change denier” (I’m not) and “racist” (I’m not.) I may be appalling, unfit the breathe the same air as the rest of you, but I’m not those things.
Just thought I ought to point that out.

Sunny Hundal outlines on Liberal Conspiracy why none of the claims are defamatory and says:

“In his columns he styles himself as a defender of free speech, but when it concerns himself Rod Liddle is happy with making legal threats to shut down debate on his past writings.”

The facebook group has now exceeded its £500 target for an advert in the Independent and is looking to raise £1,000.

Hat-tip: Mohamed Ansar

Liz McShane

A bit premature calling Craig an idiot for not getting the right spelling when he himself comes unstuck:

..”unfit the breathe the same air as the rest of you”…

doesn’t bode well as a potential editor apart from all his other failings….!
http://twitter.com/poblishlab/status/8683150417 Andrew Regan

@leftfootfwd "Liddle’s BNP friends": Rod Liddle's facebook friends include a British National Party supporte… http://bit.ly/cgI5e1 #labour
Julio

Someone whose grandfather was a coward and whose father is a left wing extremist and a traitor should know better than to smear other people by association.
Liz McShane

Julio – wow your post is rather personal and OTT with a bit of dramatic license thrown in for extra effect. With regards to your charge of ‘left-wing extremist’ (whilst not ignoring your offensive allegation of calling labelling someone’s grandfather a coward)…I think you would have a job convincing most sane people of that… but I suppose it all depends where you sit on the right….
Liz McShane

Julio p.s

The post is not smearing Rod Liddle – he does it quite effectively himself.It is merely highlighting his character & views which are already in the public domain eg his assault on his pregnant girlfriend.
Anon E Mouse

Julio – Will Straw is not responsible for the actions of his grandfather, cowardly or otherwise. He wasn’t even born then.

Jack Straw, although perhaps considered pedantic by many, is far from a left wing extremist.

I’m not here to defend anyone who supports this morally bankrupt government – the fact it’s a fag-end busted flush is plain to see – but on this blog most people are allowed space to comment and defend their positions by facts.

The fact that Rod Liddle has a friend on his Facebook page who is a member of a perfectly legal political party is hardly a story and shows how weak this article actually is but no one’s forcing you to read or respond to it.

If you do feel the urge to respond however you should really be polite and in my opinion you’re not being.

Liz – Being right wing isn’t a crime you know!
Liz McShane

Anon – I know that being right wing is not a crime – that wasn’t my point at all. I was fairly bemused at Julio thinking that Jack Straw was ‘extreme left wing’ so I could only surmise that Julio must be fairly on the right to have that view.

Apart from that I agree whole heartedly with your comments about his personal & offensive comments!!
http://twitter.com/dpoc41/status/8697184589 Dpoc41

Liddle’s BNP friends http://bit.ly/dltCCv
http://www.samedifference1.com sarah

Well done guys on reaching and exceeding the target of £500. Hope they take the ad!
Anon E Mouse

Sarah – If the money is there of course they will. Personally I’d have given the money to charity.

Not that it will influence the decision of management at the Indy who (if it were me) will obviously now employ Liddle since he certainly bring an element of colour to an otherwise drab and silly views-paper.