Four-letter rant councillor 'holds hands up' over call
A CARMARTHEN councillor says he regrets leaving a four-letter rant on the answer phone of a 19- year-old who pulled out of a brass band trip to Libya at the last minute.
Marc Scaife, a Labour councillor on Carmarthen town council, Parliamentary hopeful, and chair of Burry Port Town Band, came under scrutiny over the abusive phone message after the teenager pulled out of the band's controversial trip to Libya at the end of last month.
The band spent 12 days there for the Libyan International Festival of Military Music, part of the 40th anniversary celebrations of Colonel Gaddafi coming to power.
The event coincided with the release of Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi.
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The phone call made by Mr Scaife was posted on video website YouTube by the band member.
Mr Scaife said that in retrospect he regretted losing his temper on the phone but said he was angry at the inconvenience caused by the band member pulling out after special visas had been arranged with Libyan authorities for the band.
He described the band member's subsequent action in broadcasting what he thought to be a private message as "malicious and spiteful".
In his view, he said it was "a gross invasion of privacy".
Mr Scaife added that he felt betrayed.
He went onto say about the controversy: "I hold my hands up, I accept I was upset when I made the call.
"I was also under significant pressure at the time to finalise details for our departure to Libya."
He added that the invasion of privacy by having the call aired on the internet was a warning to everyone in the public eye.
Councillor Scaife said: "I think people in any public position have to be very careful these days, that is what this incident has shown."
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