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Original poster

RIP Cyril Smith MP

14 replies

GabbyLoggon · 03/09/2010 14:46

I was sorry to hear of the death of Cyril
Smith MP. He was a larger than life personality . Said to have weighed 29 stone
at one point. (heaviest MP ever?)

Mr Smith has not been in the public eye for some years. But he was very popular in his day; and a lot of people in Rochdale will be sad today RIP

OP posts:
MaybeTheyHaveSeenUs · 03/09/2010 14:49

He's one of the few politicians i remember from my childhood. He reached a good old age didn't he?

RIP Cyril Sad

megonthemoon · 03/09/2010 15:53

I grew up in Rochdale and met him when I was 10. Genuinely lovely man. It's a sad day :(

cat64 · 03/09/2010 15:56

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said · 03/09/2010 15:59

I assumed he was dead years ago and was surprised when I found out he was still alive. How old was he? Sad

nameymcnamechange · 03/09/2010 16:00

Wow! He did live a long life didn't he?

Original poster
GabbyLoggon · 03/09/2010 16:13

He was quoted as being 82 years of age.

OP posts:
cat64 · 03/09/2010 16:55

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scallopsrgreat · 04/09/2010 11:56

I was brought up in Rochdale and met him several times. Lovely man. Proper local politician who cared about his constituents. Sad

coodles · 05/09/2010 22:02

I know this man has only just died, but I'm afraid there was more to him than met the eye - in particular his links to and support for the asbestos industry.

There were other allegations made against him in Private Eye and elsewhere which are very disturbing.When they were printed, he did not sue the magazine or others.

megonthemoon · 06/09/2010 09:34

Agree coodles, he wasn't perfect at all. But he was still a very friendly, charming person, as i can attest to, and that is usually what one should focus on when someone has just died,whether famous or not. There is time in the future to really weigh up his life.

Michael White in The Guardian basically tried to out him as gay in his piece about his death FFS. How nice it must be for his family and friends to read that.

coodles · 06/09/2010 11:58

Sorry, I can't agree that he was a friendly and charming person though maybe talking to his constituents that was how he came across.

I am not talking trivial stuff here,but serious allegations of CSA. Repeated, independent allegations over several years.

i believe he misused and abused his position of power in his constituency to cover up

I couldn't care less if he was gay.That was his business.

But CSA -not.

And thats before I get on to the asbestos issue.

scallopsrgreat · 06/09/2010 12:28

coodles I hadn't heard those allegations and had just commented on personal experience. But just googled and I agree this sheds a very different light on him. The allegations aren't trivial and should be taken seriously. I genuinely thought he was one of the good ones Sad.

megonthemoon · 06/09/2010 12:45

If that is true then i would be very :( and Angry. It will be interesting to see what comes out now he has died if that gives people space to talk where they haven't felt able before. Until then, I won't forget that he was very kind to me when I met him because that is my only experience if him, but I will wonder about him.

Still don't think snide comments like Michael White's are the way to go when somebody has just died though. At least the official Guardian obituary did mention Private Eye allegations against him - a little bit more of an honest way to deal with things.

coodles · 06/09/2010 12:48

Scallops, so did I.......
But I believe these allegations.

The person who was brave enough to publish the Alternative Rochdale Paper detailing the story was apparently beaten up for his trouble.

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