UGLY SMEAR

At the weekend, Scottish Sun “journalist”, Chris Musson printed a piece giving the impression that I was asleep during an important debate on Withdrawing from the EU last Wednesday.

He did not have the courtesy to consult me before he printed this piece where I could have sent him the clip below which shows clearly that I was awake. Instead he chose to use a still image which could only have been designed to mislead. As a result of his irresponsible actions I have been subject to a huge amount of personal abuse.

I emailed him about this on Saturday once I had become aware that this scurrilous allegation had been printed as well as being posted on The Sun’s Facebook and twitter site. My email to him is copied below:

Dear Mr Musson,

I am most disappointed that you chose to print a piece in your newspaper alleging I was asleep in the Commons on Wednesday.

Had you been courteous enough to contact me I could have sent you the 90 second video link from the Chamber at that time, showing clearly that I was awake and was actually, appealing to the heavens, bemoaning the constant noises off, chuntering from the Chamber in disagreement with Tommy Sheppard’s speech.

The fact that you chose not to contact me before printing this suggests you suspected as much, and did not want the truth to interfere with your story. At a time when MP’s security is being stepped up, when many of us are receiving death threats, the additional hatred you have whipped up against me personally is both irresponsible and unforgivable. For you to deliberately attempt to undermine and misrepresent any politician simply because you disagree with them may be fashionable but it is not professional.

I will send you the video link on Monday to the video clip, which I hope will lead to your printing a retraction and apology in as prominent a position as this original untruth was printed.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

Patricia Gibson MP

North Ayrshire & Arran

I have not received the courtesy of a response from Mr Musson despite the vicious abuse I have received on social media as a result of his attempt to smear my reputation.

Sadly in politics, the new normal is that it is OK to attempt to destroy politicians if you disagree with their views, and it is OK to whip up hatred against them, regardless of the implications for their safety.

Given Mr Musson’s reluctance to answer for his so-called journalism, I will now refer this entire grubby affair to the Press Complaints Commission to see what further recourse is open to me.

You can see the clip of me in the Commons and what really happened but which was manipulated to undermine my reputation for hard work and whip up hatred against me.