Difference between revisions of "Michael Forsyth"
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| − | + | :CHAIRMEN of Conservative associations throughout Scotland have received a letter advising them not to hand over membership lists to party headquarters. The letter, anonymous but claiming to be from a constituency chairman, will heighten fears over the confidentiality of membership lists once they are handed over to party headquarters. | |
| − | + | :Eighteen associations out of 72 have failed to meet the deadline for submitting membership lists asked for by central office in Chester Street, Edinburgh, so the names and addresses can be put on the mailing list for Scottish Conservative, the new quarterly party magazine to be produced by Leith Communications, run by Brian Monteith. Although only one association, Glasgow Hillhead, formerly a marginal, has voted to withhold its lists, 17 others have not met the mid-November deadline. The letter has highlighted fears among rank-and-file members about changes at central office and the appointment of certain staff and party advisers. Concern over lists has also been expressed by Andrew Barnett, president of St Andrews University Conservative Association, in a six-page complaint to Bill Hughes, deputy chairman of the party, over the 'high-handed' attitude of Chester Street in suspending the assocation's Royal Bank of Scotland account after it refused to co-operate fully in providing membership details for Scottish Conservatives. Barnett said: 'My association is perfectly capable of mailing the magazine internally, saving considerable expense.' Grass-roots workers fear association membership lists could fall into the hands of groups not directly connected with the Tory party, as happened with the membership list of the now-defunct Federation of Conservative Students, bought by David Irving, the neo-fascist author. (See story, left). | |
| − | + | :That incident is specifically mentioned by Barnett in the letter to Hughes, which was also distributed to Malcolm Rifkind, Scottish secretary, and a number of other party officials and chairmen of marginal seats, such as North East Fife.Barnett also called for a formal apology from Michael Forsyth, chairman of the Scottish Conservative Party, over the 'unscrupulous' action of his staff, plus reimbursement of expenses to free the association bank account.<ref>The Times (London) November 26 1989, Sunday Tories in fear over abuse of party names; Scotland BYLINE: [[Mark Whittet]] SECTION: Issue 8624.</ref> | |
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Revision as of 08:13, 30 April 2008
- CHAIRMEN of Conservative associations throughout Scotland have received a letter advising them not to hand over membership lists to party headquarters. The letter, anonymous but claiming to be from a constituency chairman, will heighten fears over the confidentiality of membership lists once they are handed over to party headquarters.
- Eighteen associations out of 72 have failed to meet the deadline for submitting membership lists asked for by central office in Chester Street, Edinburgh, so the names and addresses can be put on the mailing list for Scottish Conservative, the new quarterly party magazine to be produced by Leith Communications, run by Brian Monteith. Although only one association, Glasgow Hillhead, formerly a marginal, has voted to withhold its lists, 17 others have not met the mid-November deadline. The letter has highlighted fears among rank-and-file members about changes at central office and the appointment of certain staff and party advisers. Concern over lists has also been expressed by Andrew Barnett, president of St Andrews University Conservative Association, in a six-page complaint to Bill Hughes, deputy chairman of the party, over the 'high-handed' attitude of Chester Street in suspending the assocation's Royal Bank of Scotland account after it refused to co-operate fully in providing membership details for Scottish Conservatives. Barnett said: 'My association is perfectly capable of mailing the magazine internally, saving considerable expense.' Grass-roots workers fear association membership lists could fall into the hands of groups not directly connected with the Tory party, as happened with the membership list of the now-defunct Federation of Conservative Students, bought by David Irving, the neo-fascist author. (See story, left).
- That incident is specifically mentioned by Barnett in the letter to Hughes, which was also distributed to Malcolm Rifkind, Scottish secretary, and a number of other party officials and chairmen of marginal seats, such as North East Fife.Barnett also called for a formal apology from Michael Forsyth, chairman of the Scottish Conservative Party, over the 'unscrupulous' action of his staff, plus reimbursement of expenses to free the association bank account.[1]
Notes
- ↑ The Times (London) November 26 1989, Sunday Tories in fear over abuse of party names; Scotland BYLINE: Mark Whittet SECTION: Issue 8624.
