It's hardly surprising he came back, given what I found out a wee while ago.
Scottish Leader Willie Rennie, who met with Mike this morning, was asked on his Facebook page if Mike had apologised for calling him a Tory. That quote from Mike was thrown at Willie across the Holyrood Chamber at FMQs today:
On Councillor Dillon, I will quote what he said on 3 July:
“Members and supporters of the LibDems do not understand why their party leadership in Scotland have
become the cheerleaders to Tory policy and Tory beliefs ... Michael Moore and Willie Rennie sound more Tory than the Tories, and enough is enough.”
Willie Rennie: I say to the First Minister that Mike Dillon is back with us. [Interruption.]
Willie's reply was very telling:
No, because he didn't say those words. The SNP made them up when he defected to them. They put words in his mouth which he hadn't agreed to.What an appalling way to treat somebody. I always feel when someone joins us that we need to make a really special effort to welcome them. It's a real wrench to leave a political party you've been committed to for a long time. The likelihood is that you'll be leaving friends behind as well. It's a time when you need to be treated with empathy and respect, not used as a weapon without your permission. It does make you wonder how many of the other quotes from our defectors have been genuine or an invention of some SNP press officer's imagination.
Most of the time I tend to be quite forgiving of ours who have gone the other way, unless they have really been nasty about it. I'm probably too soft in that regard, but, well, that's just me.
Just as an aside, when Lib Dem Councillors have joined other parties, it's attracted a fair bit of press coverage.
Funnily enough, there's not that much on the fact that he's come back.
Plus ca change and all that...........
Don't worry, it'll be a Paisley Daily Express exclusive next Tuesday...
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