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Never mind

thegualityTHE Edinburgh-based Scotsman news-paper has only a small circulation.

But it likes to see itself as aserious and important quality paper.

In reality, however, .it talks aload of twnddle.

The Sun beat every other paperto Scotland's top story last week.

We revealed how a man sus- §"

pected of the Fettes police HQbreak-in, conned top QC William

Nimmo ,Smith into spilling thebeans on his probe into ~ al-eged gay ring in top legal circles."We c an , unde r s t and The

Scotsman's frustration at missinga story which happened on its

own "doorstep. ,, But what is beyond belief is the'way the paper attacks uS in. al1-editorial.

I t claims we "gleefully drove a

coach and horses"- through news-paper ethics.' 'I t talks of misrepresentation and

subterfuge.

Scandal

I t suggests our story was worthless, and The Sun and the suspectsomehow plotted to undermine MrNimmo Smith.

Just what sort of a dreamland E

d o ~ , t h e s e .people hve m? ' ~ Our story dealt with a scandai§

§ ,at the, very , hea r t o f t h e : ~ ''E establishment. ;'" ;:,

§ Its interest and importance"

§ spreads far beyond Edinburgh.E ' Since The Scotsman is clearly§ unused to recQgnising facts, '-¥e§ will help it by spelling out a: f e w ~§, Fact: We, did not conspire With'

'E the suspect. He approached, us§only AFTER he had spoken with, : Nimmo Smith. , '

~ Fact: Politicians from' all parE ties - including Labour's tireless§ Tam Dalyell - felt our story wasE in the public interest.§ Fact: Sir Nicholas Fairbairn QC,E a fOrmer Solicitor General for§ Scotland, thinks our revelations§ are so irnportant the inquiry

§ should ,be scrapped.

1_ Conman

1'hp Srntsman claims the inci-

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Conman

The Scotsman claims the inci-

dent has not fatally undermined "§ the inquiry.

I t insists the information we~ p r i n t e d would have come out' any'"'~ way when th e repo r t waspublished.

~ But editor Magnus Linklater

completely misses the point - despite being, E,ton-educateet like .Mr

Nimmo-Smith. = _ \, The crux of the argument is

i : : ~ f , ; " r : i : , : : ~ . ~ ~ i t hco=n easily

So how can anyone be sure oth-ers have not deceived him during

his investigation.The Scotsman wouldn't know a real

story if it was fired throu,h It. wlndc;w

from the Edinburgh Ca.tle cannon. §

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