Lib Dem health spokeswoman sacked
Baroness Tonge
Baroness Tonge made her comments to the Jewish Chronicle
The Liberal Democrat leader has sacked his health spokeswoman in the House of Lords after comments she made about alleged organ trafficking in Haiti.
Jenny Tonge told the Jewish Chronicle there should be an inquiry into claims that Israeli troops sent there after the earthquake were trafficking organs.
Nick Clegg said the comments were "wrong, distasteful and provocative" and dismissed her from her post.
He said she apologised "unreservedly" for any offence she had caused.
The peer is a patron of the news website, the Palestine Telegraph, which printed the allegations.
It claimed that members of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), sent to help with the humanitarian effort after Haiti's devastating quake, were selling human organs.
'Highly offensive'
Baroness Tonge told the Jewish Chronicle: "To prevent allegations such as these - which have already been posted on You Tube - going any further, the IDF and the Israeli Medical Association should establish an independent inquiry immediately to clear the names of the team in Haiti."
If I had to live in that situation... I might just consider becoming one myself
Jenny Tonge, speaking about Palestinian suicide bombers in 2004
In a statement released on Friday evening, Nick Clegg said the allegations were "highly offensive".
"The comments were wrong, distasteful and provocative and I recognise the deep and understandable distress they have caused to the Jewish community," he said.
"While I do not believe that Jenny Tonge is anti-semitic or racist, I regard her comments as wholly unacceptable.
"Jenny Tonge apologises unreservedly for the offence she has caused."
It is not the first time that Baroness Tonge has been dismissed from a party post.
In 2004, when she was still an MP, then Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy asked her to quit as children's spokeswoman following remarks she made about Palestinian suicide bombers.
She told a pro-Palestinian lobby group: "If I had to live in that situation - and I say that advisedly - I might just consider becoming one myself."
She retired as an MP after the incident, but entered the House of Lords.
In 2006, she was reprimanded by Lib Dem whips after saying the party was "probably in the grip" of the pro-Israel lobby.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8513662.stm
Baroness Tonge
Baroness Tonge made her comments to the Jewish Chronicle
The Liberal Democrat leader has sacked his health spokeswoman in the House of Lords after comments she made about alleged organ trafficking in Haiti.
Jenny Tonge told the Jewish Chronicle there should be an inquiry into claims that Israeli troops sent there after the earthquake were trafficking organs.
Nick Clegg said the comments were "wrong, distasteful and provocative" and dismissed her from her post.
He said she apologised "unreservedly" for any offence she had caused.
The peer is a patron of the news website, the Palestine Telegraph, which printed the allegations.
It claimed that members of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), sent to help with the humanitarian effort after Haiti's devastating quake, were selling human organs.
'Highly offensive'
Baroness Tonge told the Jewish Chronicle: "To prevent allegations such as these - which have already been posted on You Tube - going any further, the IDF and the Israeli Medical Association should establish an independent inquiry immediately to clear the names of the team in Haiti."
If I had to live in that situation... I might just consider becoming one myself
Jenny Tonge, speaking about Palestinian suicide bombers in 2004
In a statement released on Friday evening, Nick Clegg said the allegations were "highly offensive".
"The comments were wrong, distasteful and provocative and I recognise the deep and understandable distress they have caused to the Jewish community," he said.
"While I do not believe that Jenny Tonge is anti-semitic or racist, I regard her comments as wholly unacceptable.
"Jenny Tonge apologises unreservedly for the offence she has caused."
It is not the first time that Baroness Tonge has been dismissed from a party post.
In 2004, when she was still an MP, then Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy asked her to quit as children's spokeswoman following remarks she made about Palestinian suicide bombers.
She told a pro-Palestinian lobby group: "If I had to live in that situation - and I say that advisedly - I might just consider becoming one myself."
She retired as an MP after the incident, but entered the House of Lords.
In 2006, she was reprimanded by Lib Dem whips after saying the party was "probably in the grip" of the pro-Israel lobby.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8513662.stm
1 opmerking:
"Hoever zijn we nu met de democratie", vroeg de eliteclown zich af. De vraag is niet in hoever we de mensen die niet bij de elite horen, kunnen laten afglijden naar de armoede. Goede gymnasia, slechte MBO, alle kinderen Engels terwijl er een Nederlandse taalachterstand is, huursubsidie omlaag, huren omhoog. De meneer met de veilige achtergrond en onderwijs voor de elite.
De vraag over hoe het met de democratie gesteld is, is met het geval van Tonge beantwoordt.
Theems
Dinsdag, 1 december , 2009
Videoblog Alexander Pechtold van 1 december
Ik kom net terug uit Londen. In Londen hebben we een afdeling van D66 gestart. Leuke bijeenkomst met enthousiaste mensen. De opkomst: 66 man. Dus na New York, Berlijn en Brussel nu ook een afdeling voor D66-ers in het Verenigd Koninkrijk.
Natuurlijk heb ik de gelegenheid te baat genomen om ook een bezoek af te leggen aan de Liberaal Democraten, de LibDem’s. De leider, Nick Clegg, is een man die vloeiend Nederlands spreekt omdat zijn moeder Nederlandse is. We hebben het vooral gehad over het onderzoek naar de oorlog in Irak, wat nu zowel daar loopt als hier bij ons. Verder ook over de eventuele verlenging van de missie in Afghanistan en hoe Obama daar mee om gaat, en over de kansen van de LibDem’s om daadwerkelijk door te breken. Doorbreken ondanks hun rare kiesstelsel van districten waar je, als kleinere partij, heel veel moeite hebt om door te breken. Maar zij zien nu echt de mogelijkheid om Labour op een paar grote plekken echt langdurig uit het zadel te stoten. Nou daar hebben we het over gehad en dat is eigenlijk een prima opmaat voor vandaag.
Vanavond gaan wij hier in het parlement namelijk praten over de staat van de Unie. Hoe is het met Europa? Natuurlijk kijken we hierbij ook even terug op hoe het nou is gelopen met die benoemingen. Waarom hebben de Belgen twee mooie posities? Waarom hebben de Britten een fantastische positie? En waarom heeft Nederland, gelukkig wel met Kroes, maar een kleine portefeuille? Maar ‘de staat van de Unie’ moet vooral ook gaan over vragen als: ‘Hoe ver zijn we nu met de democratie?’, ‘Hoe ver is het verdrag van Lissabon nu dadelijk uitgevoerd?’
Kortom, weer het nodige om eens even de Europese gevoelens bij D66 met een krachtig JA te beantwoorden.
anzi
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