Why did NTS pick Neil Oliver? – Angus Robertson
What is going on with the National Trust for Scotland? It’s bad enough that the institution that maintains so many national treasures is in financial difficulties.
Now it’s in the headlines again because of controversial statements by its president Neil Oliver about racist historian David Starkey.
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Hide AdLast week Starkey was rightly condemned for his comments about “so many damn blacks”. He was immediately dropped by his publishers and removed from a number of academic posts.
This had been preceded by Neil Oliver tweeting notorious pro-Brexit campaigner Darren Grimes about Starkey, saying: “Tell him I love him, by all means.”
Readers will recall Starkey’s well-reported past comparison of the SNP with the Nazis, and his description of Scotland, Wales and Ireland as “feeble little countries”.
Neil Oliver himself has form with his vitriolic attacks on the SNP and describing an independence referendum as a “cancerous presence”.
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Hide AdI don’t understand why National Trust for Scotland decision-makers thought such a high-profile partisan commentator was a good choice for the role in the first place.
Despite the intention of the NTS board of trustees to re-appoint Oliver, he has now announced his intention to step down.
The National Trust for Scotland is desperately seeking funds to protect the heritage of everyone in this country regardless of their political views. Surely they must do better as a first step by appointing somebody as president who has the widest possible trust and support of the public. They will need that if they want to restore NTS finances and retain members.
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