Post by Redz on Jan 23, 2007 14:44:03 GMT
FORMER Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie is to be invited to Liverpool in the wake of the renewed controversy over his comments on the Hillsborough tragedy.
At a meeting tomorrow night, councillors are expected to order Colin Hilton, the city council chief executive, to write to the columnist calling for him to meet with civic leaders.
It also condemns the recent comments made by MacKenzie and applauds "the restraint shown by its citizens in the face of such mindless provocation."
They want MacKenzie to tell them why he reignited the row over his "The Truth" article, telling businessmen he had never felt sorry for what his newspaper wrote.
It sparked anger across the city and led to the launch of a sustained campaign among football fans and people in the city to get him to apologise.
Last night, Labour group leader Joe Anderson, who proposed the motion to invite MacKenzie to the city, said: "While not wanting to give this man the oxygen of publicity, there are lots of people in this city who have told me how much they feel at a loss and insulted by his comments.
"I want him to come and meet people in this city, both council representative and individuals, so he can decide for himself exactly what makes people here tick.
"When people here are under attack we gather together and support them.
"I'm not going to be drawn into whether he should make an apology or not.
"His views are based on ignorance and prejudice and the only way to counteract that is to show him what people are really like. Then he can make up his own mind."
The Daily Post revealed in December how Mr MacKenzie said "I was not sorry then and I'm not sorry now" - for the paper's infamous coverage of the Hillsborough disaster - to 100 guests at an annual law firm lunch in Newcastle.
Since then, he has been roundly condemned by families of the 96 dead, politicians and football fans.
An 11,000-signature petition was quickly organised and sent to the BBC calling for them to drop him for their Christmas Day schedules.
And more than 40,000 Liverpool fans staged an emotional protest at the start of Liverpool's FA Cup tie against Arsenal, which was screened on BBC1.
Speaking on the BBC's Question Time this month, MacKenzie also said he was not even sure whether two of the most infamous Sun claims - that people stole from and urinated on the dead - were true, but still would not apologise.
Shaun Simpson, one of the campaign organisers, said: "We would very much welcome the chance to meet face-to-face with MacKenzie and put our concerns to him.
"While it is no secret that we deeply resent his comments, we want a civilised discussion with him to give him the opportunity to repair the hurt and damage he has done."
At a meeting tomorrow night, councillors are expected to order Colin Hilton, the city council chief executive, to write to the columnist calling for him to meet with civic leaders.
It also condemns the recent comments made by MacKenzie and applauds "the restraint shown by its citizens in the face of such mindless provocation."
They want MacKenzie to tell them why he reignited the row over his "The Truth" article, telling businessmen he had never felt sorry for what his newspaper wrote.
It sparked anger across the city and led to the launch of a sustained campaign among football fans and people in the city to get him to apologise.
Last night, Labour group leader Joe Anderson, who proposed the motion to invite MacKenzie to the city, said: "While not wanting to give this man the oxygen of publicity, there are lots of people in this city who have told me how much they feel at a loss and insulted by his comments.
"I want him to come and meet people in this city, both council representative and individuals, so he can decide for himself exactly what makes people here tick.
"When people here are under attack we gather together and support them.
"I'm not going to be drawn into whether he should make an apology or not.
"His views are based on ignorance and prejudice and the only way to counteract that is to show him what people are really like. Then he can make up his own mind."
The Daily Post revealed in December how Mr MacKenzie said "I was not sorry then and I'm not sorry now" - for the paper's infamous coverage of the Hillsborough disaster - to 100 guests at an annual law firm lunch in Newcastle.
Since then, he has been roundly condemned by families of the 96 dead, politicians and football fans.
An 11,000-signature petition was quickly organised and sent to the BBC calling for them to drop him for their Christmas Day schedules.
And more than 40,000 Liverpool fans staged an emotional protest at the start of Liverpool's FA Cup tie against Arsenal, which was screened on BBC1.
Speaking on the BBC's Question Time this month, MacKenzie also said he was not even sure whether two of the most infamous Sun claims - that people stole from and urinated on the dead - were true, but still would not apologise.
Shaun Simpson, one of the campaign organisers, said: "We would very much welcome the chance to meet face-to-face with MacKenzie and put our concerns to him.
"While it is no secret that we deeply resent his comments, we want a civilised discussion with him to give him the opportunity to repair the hurt and damage he has done."