MP loses no sleep over 'BNP slur' (From South Wales Guardian)
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MP loses no sleep over 'BNP slur'
5:40pm Thursday 17th May 2012 in News
LOCAL MP Jonathan Edwards is “not losing any sleep” over the news that a former Llandybie community councillor has lodged a complaint against him with the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Guardian has learned.
Meirion Bowen, a former member of the British National Party, claims Plaid Cymru’s Carmarthenshire East and Dinefwr MP has labelled him “a BNP activist” who is constantly attacking him in the press.
Mr Bowen, who lost his seat as an independent on Llandybie community council in the recent elections, claims Mr Edwards is guilty of character assassination.
In an e-mail to Speaker John Bercow, Cllr Bowen says Mr Edwards “has with malice knowingly by means of degrading treatment used my former lawful membership with West Wales BNP in a defamatory manner to discredit my good name and gain political capital to discriminate against me”.
But a spokesman for Mr Edwards rejected the claims.
“Mr Bowen has already made a complaint to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, who has dismissed Mr Bowen’s claim,” he said.
“Mr Edwards has a policy of not meeting with anyone associated, past or present, with the BNP.
“Mr Edwards isn’t losing any sleep over the complaint.”
Meirion says...
10:28am Fri 18 May 12
I believe that it is a matter of public interest that the people should note that the Parliamentary Commissioner said in his letter dated 11th April 2012.
My complaint was not as what Jonathan Edwards' claims as dismissed. The Commissioner said "that there are a number of exceptions to the Commissioner's remit."
The Commissioner then went on to say
"With the limited exception afforded by parliamentary privilege, Members are subject-like anyone else-to the laws of the land.
If you believe that you have been defamed you may wish to consider whether there has been a breach of the law, and if so whether you wish to take legal action.
If you believe that a crime has been commited, you should put the evidence before the relevant authority, such as the police. But these are not matters on which I would advise."
This clearly means that an MP is not exempt from Equality, Discriminatory, Libel, Defamatory and Slanderous Laws.
That is not a dismissal from the Commissioner but good advice.
Which I have heeded. Abeit to an Authority outside Wales.
As far as the Speaker is concerned, I need the Speaker's permission as protocol to take my Voluntary Casework to another less discriminatory MP.
I trust that this serious matter will be seen and read in its own right and not the political banter portrayed.