So, Labour PPC Stuart MacLennan has been sacked for making offensive comments on Twitter before he was a PPC. These included a tongue-in-cheek comment about how fair trade bananas didn't taste very nice; some religious sectarian Rangers/Celtic football stuff; references to chavs and old people as "coffin dodgers", oh yes and he said cunt too.
There's been outrage all round of course. We're in an election campaign. Tories screaming about how horribly offensive it is all is, and Labour bloggers quick to say he must resign because it's horribly offensive and terribly damaging. This is the danger of Twitter of course and the sad thing about politics.
Honestly though, talk about a huge mountain out of a very small molehill.
Let's put a little perspective on this. How many PPCs, before becoming PPCs do you think have been in a pub and said offensive things? How many current MPs and potential Prime Ministers have had "ordinary University lives" before politics that may have included having a night out on the town with Charlie? Hmmmm?
Anyone who claims they haven't done something in the past that would look horrible on the front page of the Sun is liar.
Update: I think Orwell's word should be updated to, "If liberty means anything at all it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.. unless there's an election on in which case you're fired"
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