Right to clear SNP MP John Nicolson of bullying Conservative Nadine Dorries, but he should still apologise – Scotsman comment

John Nicolson may have had the right to like tweets describing Nadine Dorries as ‘grotesque’, but he should choose to be more polite

Former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries complained that SNP MP John Nicolson had bullied her on social media (Picture: Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images)

The decision to clear SNP MP John Nicolson of bullying former Conservative Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries – after he liked tweets describing her as “grotesque” and a “vacuous goon” – is, finally, the right decision.

An initial investigation cleared him, standards commissioner Daniel Greenberg then found for Dorries, saying she had been “left feeling vulnerable, upset, undermined, humiliated, denigrated or threatened”, before an independent panel backed Nicolson, saying parliament’s bullying policy “had to be interpreted so as not to preclude vigorous opposition to government”. Quite.

The whole affair seems like a rather silly distraction. MPs need to be robust enough to brush off such criticisms, particularly when there are far more serious concerns about online intimidation that require action. Dorries’ complaint, a year after Nicolson’s offending likes/retweets, trivialised an issue of genuine concern.

However, while we would defend Nicolson’s right to offend on free speech grounds, he should reconsider his behaviour and apologise. The daily doses of vitriol on social media have made civility in public discourse even more vital. Rather than making personal remarks, politicians should focus on the battle of ideas.