Dear BBC
Yesterday was an odd day, as you in BBC, Covent Garden in London googled ‘george laird snp bill walker and then came to my website several times over the course of the day.
And today, you came back again, so for your benefit and others, what is my take on the Bill Walker case?
There are two issues that stick out for me, the domestic abuse allegations and the rape claim currently being investigated by the Police.
Even if Walker wasn’t a serving MSP, these are serious allegations to be sure.
Presently there is a political storm of sorts as political parties wish to force him out of Holyrood.
He isn’t going anywhere.
In an interview to the Daily Record yesterday, Walker allegedly said he slapped second wife Anne after she threatened to leave him.
On that basis, I think people would consider him to be unsuitable to be in Holyrood.
Although the public can understand self defence as an argument, their sympathy doesn’t extent to violence because his wife wanted to leave him.
In the Walker case most of the allegations related to his stormy second marriage to Anne, who he married in Edinburgh in 1970 and had three sons with.
He said they split up in about 1978 but had an on-off relationship until 1985 and divorced in 1986.
Walker said:
“In about 1983, I had to fight my ex-wife to the floor. There was a stiletto involved, an ornamental dagger. It was kept in a display case high up away from the children. This argument happened for no reason as far as I could see. She said, ‘Don’t come near me.’ I managed to grab her and wrestle her to the ground.”
Walker claimed he threw the dagger out.
He said: “I recorded it with my solicitor but it did not come out in court.”
Walker added:
“I think on one occasion I slapped her.” Asked to clarify the confession, he said: “I did not slap her on that occasion (the alleged dagger incident) but I remember one occasion when I did slap her.”
He said it happened at about the same time, after Anne threatened to leave home and told him he would “never see my sons again”.
Today Mr. Walker’s story has changed; he now says in a statement issued that he has never "assaulted" anyone.
In cases like this, the version of events seems to be constantly changing, and it makes it hard to believe what is being said.
On the one hand, according to the Daily Record interview, Bill Walker appears to say he assaulted his wife and now he says he has never assaulted his wife.
He also says he was in a knife fight and that is recorded with his solicitor, the best thing regarding the Walker case is to let the Police investigate the allegations and if there is enough evidence then pass it to the Crown Office.
Given his rambling incoherent interview to the Daily Record, I think it does question his suitability for Holyrood.
I have blogged before on the geniune lack of talent in the SNP below Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon. It was only a matter of time before people such as Walker were exposed for what they are.
I have met many politicians because I am in politics and most are party drones, who when put on the spot in interview come across as gibbering idiots who quote party press releases, current mantra or use subjective opinion as fact.
Check out the Gordon Brewer interview of SNP list MSP Bob Doris and Jackie Baillie. Gordon Brewer openly mocks Bob Doris, a man who writes cheques with his mouth that his brain can't cash.
The public want to know, in a politician, what do you think, not what the party tells you to say.
At election time, they are buying not just into the party but you as a viable candidate. They want to know, will you stand up for me when I need help.
Bob Doris was the only SNP list MSP to serve the full term not to get elected in the Glasgow SNP 2011 landslide.
That tells you everything you need to know about Bob Doris and what the public in Maryhill & Springburn thinks of him, he will never win that seat, and I am willing to bet money on it.
He is one of Scotland's 'publicly unelectable'.
Unfortunately most politicians in Scotland don’t possess the wisdom of solomon.
And we are all so much poorer for it in Scottish public life.
On balance given he appears to have admitted to the press striking his wife, I don’t think Bill Walker should be in Holyrood but after this parliament, he wouldn’t be coming back anyway.
He denies all allegations.
Leaving aside the Walker case, there is a strong argument for a recall mechanism in political life at every level, however that debate is for another time and another place not clouded by emotion.
And thanks for dropping by, I do TV if asked.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
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