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The man who knew nothing: As Cyril Smith furore grows, MPs and child campaigners scorn Clegg for claiming that he was too young to know about his…
Clamour: Nick Clegg claims that he was too young at the time of Smith¿s vile acts to have known about them
Nick Clegg was facing a growing clamour last night to reveal what he knew and when about the Cyril Smith paedophilia scandal.
The Lib Dem leader, who had issued glowing tributes to the 29-stone MP, said yesterday that he was too young at the time of Smith’s vile acts to have known about them.
But politicians and child protection campaigners said his denial was not credible given the evidence that Smith’s activities were widely known in Westminster and his Rochdale constituency. And senior Lib Dem Vince Cable conceded last night there could have been an establishment cover-up of ‘paedophilia on a very large scale’.
Allegations against Smith were published in magazines in 1979 and aired publicly at an election hustings in 1987, while prominent Liberals confirmed they had heard the rumours over many years.
Yet Mr Clegg described Smith as a ‘beacon’ and an ‘inspiration’ on his 80th birthday in 2008, and said he was ‘deeply saddened’ at his death two years later.
Source: http://philosophers-stone.co.uk/wordpress/2014/04/the-man-who-knew-nothing-as-cyril-smith-furore-grows-mps-and-child-campaigners-scorn-clegg-for-claiming-that-he-was-too-young-to-know-about-his-abuse/
