Lib Dems condemn Saudi for executions – while Lib Dem councillor represents constituency from … Saudi Arabia!

Councillor Paul Whittle is a Lib Dem councillor and former Lib Dem opposition leader on Fareham Borough Council:

But surprisingly Whittle also regularly commutes 4,000 miles to his £180,000 full-time job as the Vice President of a further education college — in … erm … Saudi Arabia:

But don’t worry. According to Cllr Whittle, he is able to represent his constituency from half-way around the world because his constituents can contact him … “via email and phone“.

This is all particularly interesting because just today, Lib Dem leader Tim Farron demanded an end to the Saudi Arabia’s barbaric use of the death penalty:

“I utterly condemn Saudi Arabia for the execution of 47 people including the prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. Capital punishment is utterly abhorrent and the prime minister needs to turn round to our ‘ally’ and tell them capital punishment is wrong.”

And last month, Farron also had this to say about Britain’s ties to Saudi:

“It is time to shine a light onto the shady corners of our relationship with Saudi Arabia.  It is time we stood up for civil liberties, human rights and not turn a blind eye because the House of Saud are our ‘allies’”.

Perhaps Farron might be better off by first shining a light on his own party’s connections to Saudi Arabia …