Dear Dave,

 

At the Gazette meeting in Preston last Saturday a couple of the South Yorkshire people used the evening with Goddard article as evidence of your treachery.

 

I want to put the record straight by repeating what I've already said. Firstly, I stand by every word I wrote and I am happy to repeat myself anywhere anyplace and anytime. I'm also happy for you to quote me on this anywhere, anyplace and anytime.

 

Secondly, Goddard came up to the North East to address what he called Unity members to pronounce his appointment by Derek Simpson as the next General Secretary of the Union. He came to publicise this appointment. Well I gave him, via amicus.cc the publicity that he wanted. He and his Hayes Court pals cannot complain when he gets publicity. What he is complaining about of course is that he didn't get the publicity he really wanted. I can only remind him of Oscar Wilde's advice about being careful for what you wish for.

 

Thirdly, at the end of the evening I told everyone at the meeting that I had made notes of the meeting for the purpose of making a record that I would send to anybody who was interested in the proceedings. 

 

Fourth, I asked Goddard to state on the record what his policies would be as the next General Secretary. This question left him speechless. Although I didn't mention this in my An Evening With Goddard article he just didn't know how to answer.He was saved by the North East Political Officer who volunteered to send me Goddard's reply when he had more time to think about the answer.

 

Fifth, I told the meeting I would incorporate Goddard's reply into the report I was to write.

 

Sixth, I told Goddard that before sending my report to be published I would send them a copy. This was to prevent me misrepresenting anyone. I assured those present that they would have every opportunity to correct anything factually incorrect or any form of words or syntax that could pervert the truth of anything they had said or done. I told them that I wanted everything as the Advertising Standards Agency says,  to be legal, decent, honest and truthful. They all agreed with me.

 

Seven, a few days later. I saw Graham Goddard and Chris Weldon at the Durham Miners Gala. They were with what seemed like the entire hierarchy of the North East Amicus. The only absentee seemed to be Derek Simpson. I asked Goddard well within earshot of this hierarchy if he had composed a reply to me. No he said but he would reply in the "next few days".  I thanked him for this and reminded him that if I didn't receive a reply I would publish my report without any contribution from him. Both he and Weldon assured me that they would send me a reply within a few days.

 

Eight, after about two weeks I emailed the Regional Political Officer of the Union to ask if he had received a reply from Goddard. I have not yet received a reply. I wrote another two or three emails over the course of the next couple of months or so. I still have not received a reply to any of my emails. During this period I also made two or three telephone calls but they always went to voice-mail. My phone calls were never returned.

Nine, I sent a full copy of my report to Derek Simpson. I asked the General Secretary if he knew of anything that could misrepresent Goddard, Weldon or any other person present at the meeting. I told Simpson that I was about to send the report to be published in the next week or so. Therefore his early reply was of the essence. I also clearly stated that I would infer that any silence from him would mean nothing in the report could be construed as misrepresentation. After waiting about two weeks for a reply I send the report to amicus.cc

 

Ray Smith