Founding editor of award-winning paper sacked in freedom of speech row

In a plot line worthy of Scoop, Evelyn Waugh’s satire on journalism, the founding editor of an award-winning Highland paper has been sacked over his defence of freedom of speech.

Brian Wilson, the former Labour MP, has written for the West Highland Free Press for 38 of its 43 years, since founding it with four others in 1972.

The only gap in contributions came when he was a minister in Tony Blair’s government.

He was dismissed for using his weekly column to defend his friend and fellow columnist, the Free Church of Scotland theologian Prof Donald Macleod, after he wrote about the spread of Islam in the UK.

With 62 years of contributions between them, readers could have been forgiven for thinking they were in with the bricks at the paper’s headquqarters in Broadford on the Isle of Skye.

But in a newspaper sacking possibly without precedent, the weekly paper chose to publish both offending columns before getting rid of both contributors.

The very Highland stramash prompted outrage and incredulity on Twitter, with a baffled Gary Robertson, the BBC Radio Scotland presenter, asking: “Did they sub and publish the column?”

Another user said the move was “utterly bizarre”, and Catherine MacLeod (no relation), a former Labour special adviser, said getting rid of two of the UK’s “best and most informed writers” was “sad and dreadful”. One Twitter user asked if “SNP fingerprints” were behind the move.

In his column on May 22, Prof Macleod wrote that all minorities prefer to keep a low profile.

He added: “Generations of British Muslims have done exactly that, many have made an invaluable contribution to British society, and many are perfectly prepared to listen quietly while Christians 'witness' to them.

"But when minorities become majorities, things change... in the event of Islamic dominance in Britain our friendly Muslim shopkeepers will have little option but to march behind the radicals."

When Mr Wilson learned later that the theologian would no longer be contributing, he used his own column to back him, describing Prof Macleod’s “Footnotes” column as the “most intellectually challenging, erudite and beautifully written column in British journalism”.

He said the article was “leading on to wider questions about Islamic influence within Europe, including implications for democracy and freedom”.

He wrote: “The precedent he quoted was what happened in Algeria between the fourth and seventh centuries, from Augustine to Mohammed, so in raising current issues he was - as ever - taking the long view of history.”

The former MP said not everyone was expected to agree with Prof Macleod, but the established way of expressing dissent was to publish letters.

He went on: “Unfortunately it did not end there and as a result of whatever else transpired, Donald concluded that he should no longer contribute his column.”

Mr Wilson said his own dismissal was “pathetic” and was retribution for his column.

He told The Daily Telegraph: “They published Donald Macleod’s column and then got rid of him, and then they published my column and get rid of me. The joys of employee ownership.

“It is all a bit sad. If it had to be on any issue then I’m glad it was about freedom of speech, which is something the Free Press has always been very strong on.

“It is stupid on the issue, it is stupid on journalistic principle, it is stupid on journalistic practice. Once you publish a column it becomes the property of the paper, not of the columnist.”

The WHFP, which has been owned by its employees since 2009, confirmed the two columnists had left the paper.

It added: “We thank both Brian Wilson and Professor Macleod for their immense contribution to the paper over many years.

"They have rightly earned their reputation as erudite, passionate and respected writers and their regular offerings in the West Highland Free Press will be missed by some readers. Further than this, we have no comment to make.”