ALL those Unionist windbags who wanted to lynch SNP MSP James Dornan for suggesting that Jacob Rees-Mogg, the MP for Anglo-Saxony, might “rot in hell” have had a major setback in their campaign of vilification against Dornan, and it comes from no less a person than Rees-Mogg himself.
Readers will recall that Dornan took the Tory and very Catholic Leader of the Commons to task for his sneering post about the UK Government’s very nasty Nationality and Borders Bill that is aimed at stopping, among others, desperate asylum seekers trying to get into the UK by crossing the English Channel.
Dornan wrote: “Hope you remember this the next time you go to confession. You and your cronies are already responsible for the deaths of thousands and you're now happy to see the most desperate people in the world suffer and drown. If your god exists you will undoubtedly rot in hell.”
If you’ll pardon the phrase, all hell broke loose when Dornan made his tweet with the Scottish Tories, supreme guardians of the moral universe, particularly apoplectic.
The SNP head office backed Dornan, but according to a podcast by Rees-Mogg this morning, the SNP in London backtracked: “I've had a very nice apology from the SNP for it which was most gracious,” said Rees-Mogg.
READ MORE: SNP MSP's tweet suggesting Jacob Rees-Mogg should 'rot in hell' reported
The next bit as reported by The Spectator was most interesting: “I think this SNP MSP is entitled to discuss the likely prospects of my immortal soul. It's quite interesting that you're getting a discussion of hell in public life, I think a theologically interesting concept and I’m glad he takes such an orthodox Catholic view of the reality of hell, that is encouraging.
“But I think of course he is entitled to say that. That is perfectly fair. I am a public figure. I’ve gone into this business – nobody forced me to become a Member of Parliament. I did it of my own volition and people are free to say things about the prospects of my soul, are they not? I think that's completely reasonable.”
Ha – so suddenly the sneak who put in a complaint to Scotland’s Standards Commissioner about Dornan is looking very, very silly indeed. Not that we get to know who the clype is, presumably some Tory or other, because the Commissioner’s people won’t even confirm if she’s had a complaint – they never do.
In any case, it might not be exactly parliamentary language but telling a devout Catholic that he may rot in hell for their misdeeds is sound theology as Rees-Mogg himself admits. Taking decisions that will lead to the death of innocents is a mortal sin in most people’s books, and that gets you permanent time in the big fire, allegedly.
Rees-Mogg has probably done a wee Catholic calculation and traded being able to be a right-wing Tory git on Earth for a spell in Purgatory in the afterlife.
He could ask his fellow Roman Catholic Boris Johnson – he has not been excommunicated or been allowed to resign by the Pope so he’s still a “born” Catholic albeit a heretic and an aspostate – for some advice on Purgatory because he’s putting everybody bar his chums through it.
Anyway, these Tory elitists really wouldn’t like hell, for as the American writer Herman Melville once wrote: “Hell is a democracy of devils, where all are equals.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel