Petitions do work

Petitions do work

Dear Editor,

The directors of Stòras Uibhist pursued local crofter Murdo MacKenzie using the expensive Edinburgh lawyers, Gillespie McAndrew, and Murdo was forced to use over £8,000 of his savings to defend himself against a Land Court Writ.

We do not know how much Gillespie McAndrew have charged Stòras Uibhist for their services; the cost was said by Huw Francis at the recent EGM to be ‘sub judice’.

Soon after the petition organised by the Friends of Murdo became public knowledge, the directors of Stòras Uibhist dropped Gillespie McAndrew and engaged local solicitor Duncan Burd to continue the case.  Now Angus Brendan MacNeil MP has disclosed that Duncan Burd has been dismissed and Huw Francis, CEO of Stòras Uibhist, has been put in charge of this dispute.  This represents a considerable climb-down by the directors of Stòras Uibhist and is proof that, in this respect at least, the petition has worked.

Neither the chairman, Angus MacMillan, nor the vice-chairman, Fr Michael MacDonald, would come out of the Stòras Uibhist offices to receive the petition as requested; instead they sent Huw Francis to meet Eric Twelves and Archie MacDonald, representatives of the many Friends of Murdo. But immediately afterwards the directors held a board meeting to discuss the petition and dismiss it.

One of the candidates for election to the board, who is not already a director, asked Stòras Uibhist for a list of members but was told that the list would not be made available to candidates, including those already on the board. However an e-newsletter, setting out their case against Murdo and signed by the Board of Directors, was subsequently circulated to all members of Stòras Uibhist and the same information was included in the papers relating to the AGM sent to all members.  Hardly a level playing field!

The petition was signed by 194 people; it was shocking that many more people said they would not sign because they were literally too scared to.  Although they were in agreement with the petition, they said that they were afraid of reprisals if they signed.  Are we living in Stalinist Russia?  One of the signatories, a local councillor, suggested that we are.  For this reason the petition itself, including the signatures, was not handed over to Stòras Uibhist, instead it was lodged in Lochboisdale Police Station where it can be verified if necessary.

Our thanks to the 194 people who signed the petition, you have helped to get the expensive Edinburgh lawyers removed from Murdo’s case and to prevent yet more of our community’s funds from being squandered.

Yours sincerely,

Friends of Murdo