Convicted wife-beater Bill Walker’s “crisis PR” man has been fighting his own PR crisis after withdrawing a statement criticising one of the ex-Dunfermline MSP’s abused wives.
Iain Maciver, whose website claims he helps clients “get their message across when it seems that all around are losing their heads”, had issued an email under the heading: “What Diana Walker always forgets to mention”.
Walker was convicted of 23 counts of domestic assault against three ex-wives and a step daughter at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last month.
Mr Maciver’s statement said that while “former TV walk-on artist” Ms Walker was “enjoying the limelight again in front of the cameras, she seems to still forget some of her lines”.
However, he later sent another email withdrawing the statement and apologised to Ms Walker who “absolutely did not deserve those silly comments and criticism”.He said: “Running late is no excuse for not checking that it was appropriately written. Mr Bill Walker did not write that statement. He left it to me to clarify matters about their divorce and the result is all my fault.”
Mr Maciver added that his “attempts at clarification” would be “more sensibly framed in the future” and claimed the withdrawal would have been issued earlier but for a lack of access to wifi internet.
Ms Walker rejected the first statement as “ridiculous”.
She said: “I’ve had a full-time teaching career for 40 years. I had a walk-on part in Bergerac when we lived in Jersey for two seconds everyone in Jersey was in it. I’m not quite sure where this has come from.
“As for me liking the limelight I would if I’d won an award or the lottery in this case I like the limelight for raising the issue of domestic abuse and to encourage other women to be heard.”
Lily Greenan, manager of Scotland’s Women’s Aid, said: “I am quite appalled at the attempt to steer public opinion against one of the victims of the case.”
Opposition politicians also attacked Mr Maciver’s initial release.
Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said: “These comments from Bill Walker’s PR man are a disgusting coda to a shameful set of actions.”
Scottish Labour’s Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Claire Baker said: “This statement raises even more questions about Bill Walker, but also why this sort of individual was ever deemed fit for public office by the SNP.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: “These repugnant remarks about his ex-wife add further offence to his victims who suffered at his hands.”