This entry was posted on
Thursday, March 12th, 2009 at
12:10 pm and is filed
under Old Media.

Well, this post finally earned me a reply from the good people at Express Newspapers; I’ve just recently enjoyed an email conversation with Derek Lambie, editor of the Scottish Sunday Express.

Happily, almost everything was said ‘on the record’, so I can bring you 99.8% of the conversation verbatim and let it speak for itself.

Here ’tis:

–

—– Original Message —–
From: Derek Lambie
To: Tim Ireland
Sent: Thursday, March 12, 2009 10:51 AM
Subject: Dunblane

Tim,
Liz is on tape speaking about this. We have full transcript. I hope the personal attacks on paula murray will cease or further action will be taken.
Derek
Editor, scottish sunday express

–

—– Original Message —–
From: Tim Ireland
To: Derek Lambie
Sent: Thursday, March 12, 2009 11:10 AM
Subject: Re: Dunblane

Hi Derek. Thanks for finally getting in touch.

I note that in your email you don’t dispute Elizabeth Smith’s claim, so I’d
like to address that first.

1. Do you dispute Elizabeth Smith’s claim? She claims: “in her press enquiry
to me, Ms Murray did not mention any names of the individuals involved in
Dunblane and may I also repeat the fact that the journalist did not ask me
anything about Dunblane nor did I comment on it or on any individual
involved”

2. May we see the transcript or at least a passage or two from it that
contradicts her claim?

3. Could you specify a personal attack on my website, rather than making
vague accusations?

4. Why no reply from Martin Townsend yesterday? I have a ‘read’ receipt
that’s almost 24 hours old now.

5. *Further* action? What action have you taken?

6. This is all on the record, yes?

Cheers

Tim

–

—– Original Message —–
From: Derek Lambie
To: Tim Ireland
Sent: Thursday, March 12, 2009 11:12 AM
Subject: Re: Dunblane

Dispute that and as I say it is on record. This should be the end of the matter

–

—– Original Message —–
From: Tim Ireland
To: Derek Lambie
Sent: Thursday, March 12, 2009 11:22 AM
Subject: Re: Dunblane

Hi Derek.

There are other aspects of the story that are a genuine cause for concern.
This would not be anywhere near the end of it, even if you took a successful
stand with what amounts to your word against that of an MSP (until the
recording emerges).

But getting back to my unanswered questions… if you had a moment to
address these, I’d be most grateful:

2. May we see the transcript or at least a passage or two from it that
contradicts (Smith’s) claim?

3. Could you specify a personal attack on my website, rather than making
vague accusations?

4. Why no reply from Martin Townsend yesterday? I have a ‘read’ receipt
that’s almost 24 hours old now.

5. *Further* action? What action have you taken?

Armed with some or all of this information, I can then make a suitable
update to my article.

Cheers

Tim

–

An off-the-record question immediately followed the 11:12 AM email from Derek that appears here.

I offered to answer that question on the record, but it’s been some 40+ minutes now and no-one’s taken me up on that offer.

Derek Lambie’s last word on the record was “this should be the end of the matter”… so I guess I have to start making a list of advertisers.