Wednesday 11 January 2012

INTERVIEW WITH PETER REYNOLDS



Politics UK
Good Afternoon Folks.
PoliticsUK will start our interview with Peter Reynolds of CLEAR.


Politics UK
The last couple of week have been eventful for both yourself and CLEAR. We would like to deal with how this came about.

Let’s firstly deal with your blog. In you blog you made comment which you have since apologised for. Can you give us your thinking behind you blog entries and what lessons you have learned from this?


Peter Reynolds
My website was always meant to be provocative and controversial. Certainly, if I had known that one day I would be elected leader of a political party, I would probably have chosen my words differently.
However, I think the main thing I have learned is that it doesn't matter how honourable, sincere or well intentioned you are, some people will go to extraordinary lengths to discredit you and that the more impact you have, the more such attacks you must expect.

It's been very, very difficult to deal with, very stressful. It's disrupted my sleep, my eating and there have been times when I've dreaded looking at my PC to see what's been written about me. There vare some very nasty and very spiteful people out there.

Overall though, it is a measure of our success and some people just can't stand that. Even if it's a cause they support. If they haven't had the impact they wanted to, they try to knock anyone else who has.

Politics UK
There is an accusation that you are, in actual fact, a Police Officer. How do you react to that allegation?


Peter Reynolds
I think regulated medicinal use is probably quite close. It's absurd that the rest of Europe can have Bedrocan herbal cannabis prescribed by a doctor but we can't. I think that will change soon - within this parliament.


Peter Reynolds
 It's absolute nonsense! A few disgruntled fools have been putting about this story for nearly a year now. I've posted up plenty of evidence of my past career, articles I've written, video and television programmes I've produced, articles written about me. It's a really desperate attempt by some not very clever people who have got too much time on their hands.

Politics UK
Your entry into the “Cannabis Community” has left long term activist a little confused. Can you tell us how you came about being involved in the LCA (Legalise cannabis association)?


Peter Reynolds
I have been campigning on this issue for more than 30 years. I'd been writing more and more about it on my website and frankly I was just horrified at how unprofessional and ineffective the campaign was. A couple of people suggested to me that what the campaign needed was leadership and I was the right man for the job.

I thought long and hard about it. I was most attracted to starting up my own group but I made contact with the LCA (the Legalise Cannabis Alliance) and decided that it was probably better to work from within the existing campaign. Very quickly I was appointed spokesman. Very quickly thereafter the members voted to elect a leader and I decided to stand.

Politics UK
Last year, you won the leadership election of the LCA. It is alleged that you used the lax LCA membership policy to create fake members which you used to ensure that you won the election. How do you answer that accusation?


Peter Reynolds
 It's just more, very poorly conceived and constructed rubbish.
I had nothing to do with running the leadership election. It was all handled by Alun Buffry the then co-ordinator. Any questions about the conduct of the election should be put to him.

Politics UK
Expanding on the last questions, it has been alleged that you have used fake members to ensure that you stay leader of CLEAR. How would you respond to this?


Peter Reynolds
Again, it's just nonsense. It's another one of these entirely false allegations that there has been no evidence offered and there is no evidence to substantiate it. I am far too busy with campaigning even to consider such ridiculous ideas.

I do wonder, what sort of mind is it that thinks such snide and sneaky ideas up!

Politics UK
Would you say that you have fulfilled your leadership election promises?

 
Peter Reynolds
I've more than fulfilled what I set out to do. Really, I've done nothing more than apply the basics of professional campaigning. Of course, there is still a very long way to go but CLEAR has achieved more success than I ever dreamed.

The truth is that absolutely nothing was being done by the LCA. Any initiative was stamped on by the co-ordinator and it was just a very sad, apathetic and ineffective excuse for a campaign.

Sorry to be so brutal but that is the hard truth.

Politics UK
There have been accusations that long term activists have been removed from positions of power in CLEAR as they have questioned your leadership. What is your view on this?


Peter Reynolds
Who?

Alun Buffry resigned in a fit of pique saying he "didn't want to be a leader or be led". I tried again and again to get him to accept the chairmanship of the party but I invite anyone to look at his conduct over the past year to see his true intentions.

Don Barnard tried to resist the changes that had been in my leadership manifesto. Eventually the committee had to vote him off because he simply said he would veto any change.

I'm very pleased though that Don did accept a fellowship of the party and we are on pretty good terms. He has a lot more common sense than some of the old LCA people.

Everything I have achieved has been with the agreement of the committee and the members. Ask anyone who actually knows.I work to achieve consensus at all times.

Politics UK
There are accusations that you “censor” CLEAR members and supporter on the internet by banning or deleting the post/comments on discussion boards. How would you answer this accusation?


Peter Reynolds
Another unsubstantiated allegation. The facts are that since it started the CLEAR FB page has banned 23 people and fewer than a half a dozen in the last couple of weeks. These are very low numbers for a forum on such a contentious subject.

It is just more mischief making. Maybe these "many" people who have supposedly been banned should come forward and say so?

Politics UK
Why is there a split in the Cannabis Community and how can you unite the cause?


Peter Reynolds
Big question!


Peter Reynolds
There are several reasons. The first is that there is a substantial number of cannabis users who want to remain an "alternative" to the mainstream community. I think this tribalism is the biggest problem that we face.

In fact, much as they regard themselves as liberal and hip and cool, they are at least as prejudiced and bigoted as any Daily Mail reader.

I believe the cannabis issue is mainstream. You don't have to be a hippy or on the left or wear beads, piercings or sandals. You can be a city banker or a single mum on benefits. I'm fighting on behalf of everyone, not some group that wants to exclude others.


Peter Reynolds
The second reason is that there is a small group of disgruntled ex=activists (actually they're more accurately described as "inactivists") who are very sore that their way didn't work. Most of them are also very much of this tribal attitude.


Peter Reynolds
The third reason is that there are some very sinister forces at work.

I am not a conspiracy theorist but when I heard about Mark Andrews (I think that's the right name) in the climate change movement, I realised it is inevitable that there is undercover activity in the cannabis movement.

If you look at whenever there is conflict and division, it is always the same few faces that are at the root of it. I'm not saying they are all undercover cops but the same old faces, the same old tactics. They have ulterior motives.

Why would they go to all this trouble to try and discredit me just when we are having more success than ever?

You don't have to be a genius to work it out.

Politics UK
Finally Peter, do you have a message to members of the cannabis community?


Peter Reynolds
If we want to see progress and an end to prohibition then I believe we need to accept that other people have very real fears. They have been stoked up by the Daily Mail and government, that is true but it doesn't make their fears any less real for them.

We are not going to get a sudden reversal of policy. It is hopeless and fanciful to cling onto this dream. We must work together to make incremental progress, almost certainly starting with medicinal use and then moving onto probably quite strict regulation.

We must show that we are responsible and sensitive to other people's fears.

However unjust attitudes towards cannabis may be, we must accept that it is mature co-operation with non-users that will do most to advance our cause.

We are not advocating a particular lifestyle or culture. You can do that in other groups if you want to. All CLEAR is about is ending the prohibition of cannabis. That is our focus, nothing else.

Politics UK
PoliticsUK would like to thank Mr Reynolds for his time and wish him and Cannabis Law Reform - Clear all the success in the future.

5 comments:

  1. So basically Reynolds is saying that all the accusations made against him are just lies from trouble-makers who just happen to be most of the main cannabis activists in the UK in the last 12 years - he for some reason thinks that all those activists that wrote hundreds of letters, went to protests, signed petitions, even stood for parliament - have for some reason come together to target him.

    One has to ask why and why him? Would they have reacted the same way if it had been somebody else? After all, they did not target Des Humphreys who was until recently leader of CLEAR in Wales.

    why? Maybe it is because of Peter Reynolds old blog posts that recently surfaced, that made some very derogatory remarks against people of other races or sexual orientation? The blog he has now hidden from public view?

    Or maybe it's because Mr Reynolds has offended them deeply and rather than say sorry (he would have been forgiven by many) he preferred to call them liars - see their names below - type them into google and you will SEE the history of their campaigning whereas for Mr Reynolds we find nothing before 2009.

    The reason why he refused to apologise what that he intended to offend, to drive them away from CLEAR and make his position sound.

    Now to honesty: Peter Reynolds has a criminal conviction for dishonesty - these people do not, although many have been dragged through courts for cannabis, whereas Reynolds has not.

    There are several false statements in his answers>

    Today Chris Bovey posted that CLEAR has about 700 paying members - Reynolds has been saying over 5000 for months.

    Reynolds pledged to contest every by-election, he has contested none.

    PR: "I'm very pleased though that Don did accept a fellowship of the party and we are on pretty good terms."

    lie, ask Don Barnard - he never accepted it and is certainly not on good terms with PR of CLEAR

    In addition, remember the email from Jan to Peter saying that Don will not go quietly so we will have to change the minutes of the meeting

    Peter Reynolds "I have been campigning (sic) on this issue for more than 30 years"
    -
    jusy shows how INEFFECTIVE he was

    Those that have been offended by Reynold's statements and attitudes, include: Lezley Gibson, Mark Gibson, Jeff Ditchfield, Carl Wagner, Clara O'Donnell, Sybill Lucas-Brewer, Sarah Chalk, Winston Matthews, John Wakelin, Stuart Wyatt, webmaster and room at uk420, Chris Philbin, Don Barnard, Chris Kramer, Nol van Shaik, Lee Granson, Hugh Robertson, E A Clarke, Lesley James, Thomas Beattie, Keith Thompson, Grannie Pat, ... those are just the one's that come to mind - you can contact them all via facebook

    For what the LCA and CLEAR have done, see
    http://www.ccguide.org/lca/activities.php
    http://www.ccguide.org/cannabispress.php

    Compare 1st 9 months of lCA with first 9 months or CLEAR:

    LCA started with 2 people and no money.
    CLEAR had £4000 plus from LCA and thousands of supporters.

    LCA had 5 local candidates and 1 by-election candidate:
    CLEAR has had none

    LCA had numerous press articles and letters published - CLEAR just a handful.

    CLEAR has alienated DOZENS of campaigners - LCA had alienated none

    ReplyDelete
  2. 700 paying members - Reynolds has been saying over 5000 for months.

    Too many lies and dishonesty here!
    I am glad I do not support this man, and could not!

    I strongly urge others to be careful with this man!

    Winston Matthews

    ReplyDelete
  3. This interview had been typed up with a lot of the questions and responses in the wrong order and a fair few typo's making it difficult to follow.

    It also seems clear that a certain person is suffering from a serious case of sour grapes and if they really care about the cause as much as they claim to they should be happy to see such progress being made, despite their personal opinions about Peter Reynolds.

    I think Peter is doing a wonderful job. Better than any other cannabis campaigner has in the past and he is also proving the old adage that you can be successful and have enemies or you can be unsuccessful and have friends.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I think Peter is doing a great job, never has there been a more professional party! Fact! Dishonesty? Really? I don't believe a word of it, but let's face the facts, we all know the most dishonest, corrupt and sick members of our community's are politicians! They couldn't tell us the truth if Their lives depended on it which is why cannabis is illegal, scare tactics! Hemp grown on one acre of land can produce the same quantity of paper as 10 acres of 80 yr old trees, hemp bio fuel can replace petrol, 50% of pesticides are used on Cotten, hemp would require about 3% of the pesticides! Harvard have just released a statement "cannabis cures cancer" I really could regurgitate this kind of info for about 24 hrs. The research is out there if you can be bothered to find it! Peter is bringing this info to the public eye and IS doing a great job!!!!!!!! Keep up the great work Peter the proper CLEAR members are behind you 100%

    ReplyDelete
  5. For what the LCA and CLEAR have done, see
    http://www.ccguide.org/lca/activities.php
    http://www.ccguide.org/cannabispress.php

    Compare 1st 9 months of lCA with first 9 months or CLEAR:

    LCA started with 2 people and no money.
    CLEAR had £4000 plus from LCA and thousands of supporters.

    LCA had 5 local candidates and 1 by-election candidate:
    CLEAR has had none

    LCA had numerous press articles and letters published - CLEAR just a handful.

    CLEAR has alienated DOZENS of campaigners - LCA had alienated none

    ReplyDelete