Bill Walker claims to be victim of ‘an orchestrated smear campaign’

BILL Walker, the MSP expelled from the Scottish National Party over allegations surrounding his private life, said today that he was the victim of an “orchestrated smear campaign”.

The Dunfermline West MSP, who has faced calls to quit Holyrood from opposition politicians, denied assault and said he would not bow to pressure.

Walker said: “I have never assaulted anyone as claimed in various reports, and not a single allegation made against me has ever been tested in Court.

“When my second marriage ended, as with my first, I took legal advice and was advised that if I wanted to save the marriage, I should defend the divorce action. Otherwise, I should “hold my tongue and leave my then wife’s divorce action to proceed, which I duly did.

“A decision not to defend the Divorce Proceedings is not an admission of the allegations made in the Proceedings.

“I am surprised that Anne has now chosen to make extremely serious allegations against me in the weekend press, especially when in the intervening time since our divorce she has tried to rekindle our former relationship on a number of occasions. This claim on my part is something I can prove, though I still have no wish to embarrass her or indulge in an undignified public spat.

“My third marriage ended when I divorced my then wife, Diana. I find it strange that she has now chosen to make serious allegations on TV, when she has never before made any such claims and, indeed, spoke positively of me before a court when she was trying to gain access to her son from her own earlier marriage.

“My belief is that these allegations are part of an orchestrated smear campaign to which I shall not be succumbing. I shall continue to serve the interests of the people of my Dunfermline Constituency.”