Orange Order is 'not divisive' claims Tory candidate in Hamilton by-election race
Larkhall councillor Richard Nelson was formerly a member of the Carluke No Surrender Apprentice Boys of Derry.
A Tory candidate in the Hamilton by-election race has claimed the Orange Order is "not divisive at all".
Richard Nelson today defended his membership of the organisation and confirmed he was also a member of the Apprentice Boys of Derry.
The Larkhall councillor insisted both were "law-abiding organisations" and said he already represented people of all faiths with his work on South Lanarkshire Council.
The Record previously revealed how Nelson also performs as a foul-mouthed stage hypnotist who shouts abuse at his punters.
He is running to become an MSP at next week's Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election where the Tories are expected to finish a distant fourth behind the SNP, Reform and Labour.
During an interview with BBC Radio Scotland, the Scottish Conservatives candidate was asked about his membership of the Orange Order and the Apprentice Boys.
Nelson said: "We are law-abiding organisations. We pledge allegiance to His Majesty the King. And, you know, we are not divisive at all, and people have their right to their own religion."
Asked whether he could represent everyone in the community, the councillor added: "I always do. I always have. Last week, I met with the parish priest in Larkhall — not just the parish priest, but also another priest.
"We sat for an hour and spoke about the local community and the things that have been happening in the community. Everybody that comes to my surgery or contacts me — I do not ask what religion they are."
He added: "People always try and target organisations with a bad brush, but we are not. The things that we do for the local charities, the local communities… that is the part that is missing with all of this."
Nelson was formerly a member of the Carluke No Surrender Apprentice Boys of Derry.
The Orange Order states it is committed to 'the protection of the principles of the Protestant Reformation'.
The Record previously told how Nelson humiliated one man during his stage act by mocking him as an "a***hole' and made others believe they had soiled themselves.
The councillor has a side job as a so-called comedy hypnotist who turns the air blue. A number of his shows are no longer available on social media, but some clips are still online.
At a show in Penicuik, Nelson hypnotised a group of men who jumped around like kangaroos when the music started. The men took their seats when the music stopped and Nelson unleashed a verbal tirade against them.
'A***hole, sit doon,' he can be heard saying.
He added: 'What are yous daeing? What you daeing, you d**k? I'm in the middle of a show, here. A***holes. You and all.'
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Glasgow Times
2 days ago
- Glasgow Times
Who are Apprentice Boys of Derry who march in Glasgow this week?
The Apprentice Boys of Derry originates, and is based in Derry/Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It has eight 'parent clubs' that have 'branch clubs' in Scotland, with several in Glasgow, England, the Republic of Ireland and Canada. It is a Protestant, loyalist organisation with an estimated 10,000 members worldwide. Its stated aim is to commemorate the siege of Derry in December 1688 when 13 apprentice boys closed the city gates to the troops of King James II. READ NEXT:9 loyalist parades in Glasgow on Saturday - all the roads affected The siege lasted until the following July, with thousands dying from starvation. Until today, the organisation marks both the 'shutting of the gates', sparking the beginning of the siege where the loyalist 'no surrender' slogan originates, and the 'Relief of Derry' when the siege ended. The organisation is separate from the Orange Order but some people are members of both. ABOD members wear crimson coloured collarettes. The organisation says it is a 'Christian, historical and cultural organisation, committed to maintaining the spirit of courage and liberty displayed by the Defenders of Londonderry in 1688-1689.' READ NEXT:'Don't blame us': Taxis hit back in Glasgow city centre transport row In November last year, the Apprentice Boys of Derry Bridgeton had a march halted by police when it was met by protesters attempting to stop in passing a catholic church. The protest centred around St Alphonsus Church in London Road, where in 2018 the priest Canon Tom White was spat on by a man following an Orange Order parade. Call it Out, campaigners against anti-Irish racism and anti-Catholic bigotry said the march was anti- Catholic and was intended to intimidate Catholics. Several of the Glasgow branches are holding marches this Saturday in the city.
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Daily Record
Who are Lyons crime family as two key hoods shot dead by gunman in Spanish bar
Ross Monaghan, 43, and Eddie Lyons Jnr, 46, were among the most high profile underworld figures before they were shot dead at Monaghan's bar in the Costa Del Sol. The Lyons clan is one of Scotland's most notorious organised crime gangs. The Glasgow based outfit have been involved in a bloody feud with the Daniels clan dating back more than 20 years. It is claimed the feud between the two crime families first began over control of drugs turf. In 2001 a large stash of Daniels' cocaine was stolen from a house in the Milton area of Glasgow and sold on to the Lyons. The rivalry between the two crime family networks has seen shootings, stabbings, hit and runs, firebomb attacks, police corruption and drug trafficking busts. Two of the gang's major players Ross Monaghan, 43, and Eddie Lyons Jnr, 46, were shot dead at a bar in Spain on Saturday. The high profile underworld figures were executed by a gunman at Monaghan's Bar in the Costa Del Sol. The Record understands the shootings are linked to Scotland's ongoing gangland war which broke out earlier this year. The underworld feud first erupted after Edinburgh kingpin Mark Richardson's cronies stole a £500,000 stash of cocaine from a Dubai-based "Mr Big" known as Ross McGill, using fake cash. The Lyons gang were thought to be supporting Dubai-based McGill who waged a war on Mark Richardson - and associates the Daniels family. The notorious Lyons crime clan are set to seek bloody revenge after the double hit on two of their key figures. Here we take a look at members of the infamous Lyons clan. Steven Lyons The family is headed up by Steven Lyons, the son of former boss Eddie Lyons Snr. Steven fled Scotland nearly 20 years ago after a crucial incident sparked a war forever. In November 2006 a Daniel's associate Kevin Carroll allegedly used a 4x4 and a tow rope to topple the headstone of Eddie Snr's son, Garry, who was only eight when he died of leukaemia in 1991. The desecration of his grave marked a new low. In December 2006 two men in long black coats, wearing masks and holding handguns walked into the forecourt of Applerow Motors in Lambhill and started shooting. David Lyons, brother of the head of the clan, Eddie Snr, took cover while the attack claimed the life of nephew 21-year-old Michael. Steven Lyons and family associate Robert "Piggy" Pickett were both injured. Piggy hadn't long come out of prison on the attempted murder of the Rennie brothers in the Paisley drug wars. Pickett was so badly hurt he lost a kidney. Steven was left nursing wounds but survived the assassination attempt and fled Scotland for good almost immediately. Shooters Raymond Anderson and James McDonald were caught and sentenced to a Scottish record term of 35 years each, later reduced on appeal to 30. He is now living a plush life in Dubai after initially settling in a Spanish bolthole when he fled abroad. Eddie Lyons Snr The former head of the clan enjoyed immunity and support in the early days. In 1992 Eddie Snr, already well known to police, was given disused Chirnsyde School in Milton for a 'community project'.Three years later, while he was actually developing his crime empire in the gang hut, he was given public funding. The 67-year-old was cleared of attempted murder in 2001 and was not charged three years later when police seized £63,000 in alleged drug money from his home. His brother John was shot in a gangland attack in 2003. In 2005 Bridget McConnell, head of culture and leisure at Glasgow council and wife of Scottish First Minister Jack, recommended renewing the funding, which was agreed. And it continued for more than a year while the range war continued. Years later Eddie ended up in the dock after he admitted racking up more than £250,000 in mortgage frauds by giving lenders fake income details. Glasgow Sheriff Court heard he bought property in East Kilbride and Cumbernauld by self-certifying on mortgage applications. At the time he was sentenced to community pay back. Glasgow sheriff Robert Anthony told him: "As far as I'm concerned, you are a first offender and a man of mature years who has never caused any trouble to society." David Lyons Ten days after his nephew was shot dead at his garage, David Lyons received a 'ransom note' delivered to his home. It said: "The boys owe me £25,000 and I want what's owed to me. It's for drugs. They all know what it's about. The money doesn't matter to me as it's got to be paid to the piper. I don't want the police, the boys, not even your wife, knowing about it. If you keep them out of this then all your lives can go back to normal as we are all losing money through this. If you have any tricks for my pickup man then all the deals are off. Remember to keep your mouth shut. No cameras, no surveillance, as the pickup man doesn't know nothing so he's no use to you. Drop off, 4pm Saturday. I'll draw you a map and X will mark the spot." Years later the garage owner lost his licence to carry out MOT tests after the police claimed he was "involved in serious and organised crime, including trafficking and supply of class A drugs". Officers had urged vehicle inspection agency VOSA to strip him of the licence as part of a strategy to target the business interests of suspected criminals. He threatened to put £40,000 of his own money on the line take Strathclyde Police to court and prove he's innocent of his family's crimes. He died in 2022 aged 63 after falling outside his home in Cumbernauld. He passed away at Monklands General Hospital in Airdrie. A hospital insider claims that around 60 people visited the grandfather's bedside, including his son Paul Lyons, who was escorted from prison where he is serving time for a road rage killing. Paul Lyons The son of David Lyons, Paul was jailed in 2010 for the road rage killing of van driver Mark Fleeman, 32. He hit speeds of 100mph after a night out as he chased down his victim on the M74. Father-of-two Mr Fleeman died at the scene after Lyons rammed his van, causing it to leave the road and overturn. Lee Allsup, Mr Fleeman's 17-year-old passenger, also suffered life-changing brain and leg injuries. In January 2023 he was let out of prison to attend his dad David Lyons funeral. He was flanked by three prison guards so he could attend the service - where he played an active role. As well as placing a rose in his dad's coffin the killer also gave a speech as part of the eulogy. Later that year he was attacked in prison by murderer Peter Allen. Lyons stuck to a "gangland code" and refused to pin the blame on Allen, who is serving a life sentence for stabbing a man 142 times and leaving a knife lodged in his eye socket. Debbie Lyons Sister to Eddie Lyons Snr, was found dead at her home in the Milton area of the city in 2020. She was described as a "lost soul" having struggled with drugs for 30 years. Police were called to her flat but she had already passed away. Eddie Lyons Jr Some 18 years ago, Eddie Lyons Jnr survived a previous attempt on his life when he was ambushed by Kevin Carroll in Bellshill, Lanarkshire. It followed the fatal shooting at Applerow Motors. Eddie and his pal Ross Monaghan later appeared in court but were cleared of a vicious street attack on three men outside a bar in East Dunbartonshire which took place in April 2016. The trial collapsed, however, when two of the alleged victims said they had no memory of what had happened to them. The pair remained close friends and had were understood to have just watched the Champions League final in Monaghan's Bar on Saturday night before they were shot dead at close range. Ross Monaghan Lyons enforcer Monaghan first hit headlines when he was arrested as a suspect for the infamous Asda car park shooting in Robroyston. Kevin "Gerbil" Carroll, 29, had at the time been responsible for a series of so-called "alien abductions" across central Scotland. The kidnappings were described in such a way as the victims, who were tortured and robbed, told police they couldn't remember anything about their ordeal. Carroll attended a lunchtime business meeting in the supermarket car park on 13 January 2010. He was sat in the back of a black Audi A3 when a speeding Volkswagen Golf screeched to a halt in front of the vehicle. Carroll's two associates fled leaving him trapped in the back of the three-door car. Two masked men emerged from the Golf and opened fire, shattering the rear passenger windows. Carroll was shot 13 times in the head and chest in an attack that lasted 25 seconds. Monaghan was arrested in August 2010, just 10 days before his partner gave birth to their daughter. He spent six months on remand only to be acquitted of the murder in May 2012 after a judge ruled that there was insufficient evidence to convict him. Monaghan said at the time: "It's been a nightmare. I'm glad to get this over. I've always said it was nothing to do with me." Less than five years later Monaghan was shot in the shoulder outside a Glasgow primary school after dropping his child off. When the gunman opened fire, he was pushing a child's buggy on Muirdykes Road near St George's Primary, Penilee. Two associates of the Daniel clan were both cleared of the attack at a trial but were later convicted for other organised crime offences. Following the school shooting, Monaghan is believed to have moved to Spain. He was the owner of Monaghan's bar in the Costa del Sol, where he was slain. The shooting is the most significant gangland development since 2010 when Daniel enforcer Kevin "Gerbil" Carroll was shot dead in an Asda car park. Kevin "Gerbil" Carroll, was assassinated in the car park of the Asda store in Glasgow's Robroyston in 2010 - a killing linked to the warring families. Gerbil built up a reputation as one of Scotland's most feared gangsters, said to be responsible for a number of so-called 'alien abduction' attacks. These abductions involved he and his crew targeting rival drug dealers while pretending to be police officers. They stormed homes and businesses while claiming to be cops, before beating their rivals and stealing their guns, cash and drugs. But Gerbil met a violent end himself, when the 29-year-old was shot 13 times in 25 seconds and found slumped in the back seat of a black Audi A3, having been locked inside the vehicle. Ross Monaghan and William "Buff" Paterson were charged over the murder, with Paterson convicted and Monaghan walking free. Lyons footsoldier Andrew "Piggy" Pickett went on to exact revenge over the Applerow Motors attack, being one of the six-strong gang which left Daniels-clan leader Bonzo scarred for life in the Port Dundas ambush attack in May 2017. Steven "Bonzo" Daniel - the nephew of former Daniels leader Jamie Daniel - was ambushed by the group following a Rangers match at Ibrox. He was left horrendously disfigured. The High Court in Glasgow heard Pickett and key Lyons member Andrew "Dumbo" Gallacher carried out the attack. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. They pulled off the ambush, which took place close to the M8, with the help of four others - Brian Ferguson, John Hardie, Andrew Sinclair and Peter Bain. All six were found guilty of conspiracy to murder, with the court hearing targets were tailed using tracking devices, while the gang used high-power stolen getaway cars and encrypted mobile phones. Gallacher, who died in prison while serving his jail term for the offence, was a close pal of Ross Monaghan and William Paterson. The attack on Bonzo came just months after Monaghan had been shot. He was targeted by a gunman who had his gun stashed in a buggy, after Monaghan dropped off a child at St George's Primary School, in Glasgow's Penilee. A new wave The identity of Dubai-based gangster 'Mr Big' who is waging gang wars across Scotland was revealed as ex-Rangers ultras capo Ross McGill. The former Union Bears chief, 31, was unmasked as the hood orchestrating a series of firebomb and gun attacks across Edinburgh and Glasgow. During his time at the group, McGill made a series of public appearances including posing with former manager Steven Gerrard and handing club captain James Tavernier a player of the year award. He fled the country months after stepping down from the Ibrox supporters' group in 2022. McGill, of East Kilbride, failed to appear in court on petition in November of that year and a warrant was issued for his arrest. An underworld source told the Record McGill fled to Spain before setting up home in the United Arab Emirates. He resurfaced this year as an aspiring crime kingpin, ordering a series of brutal attacks against the Daniels and close associate, Edinburgh mob boss Mark Richardson. A turf war broke out this March after Richardson's cronies allegedly bought £500,000 of cocaine from McGill with fake cash. McGill's enforcers, a faceless and frightening group going by the name of Tamo Junto (TMJ), have carried out a series of firebombings and other vicious attacks on homes, businesses and cars associated with Richardson. McGill then turned his attention to the Daniel family. It is understood he recruited members of the Lyons family to help orchestrate attacks on the Daniels and feed him information.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- The Guardian
Cambridge University appoints first Jewish professor of Hebrew
When Henry VIII established a royal professorship in Hebrew nearly 500 years ago, the idea that a Jew would fill the role at Cambridge studying the ancient language of the Israelites was impossible. 'It's not surprising, if you know that at the time of Henry VIII Jews were banned from England. So that was quite a technical obstacle,' said Prof Aaron Koller, who later this year will become the first Jewish occupant of the post since 1540. Henry's motives for founding the Regius professorship of Hebrew studies read like a chapter out of Wolf Hall, bound up with the aftermath of his divorce from Catherine of Aragon and England's break with the church of Rome. Koller suspects Henry wanted to boost England's intellectual firepower after the rupture with the papacy, with Hebrew a critical tool for retranslating sections of the Old Testament and offering competing interpretations to those used by the church in Rome. 'I need to learn about the Tudor background to this, but about 10 years earlier he and Catherine had been tangling over the interpretation of Leviticus [a book of the Bible and the Torah] and whether their marriage was legal or not,' said Koller. 'For the papacy, Jerome's Latin translation had taken pride of place as the Bible. But as part of the Protestant reformation – [Martin] Luther was very big on this, and in England it happened as well – the thinking was: we have to go back to the original, so we want to read about it in the Hebrew and the Greek.' Royal attention could also be dangerous. After Mary I acceded to the throne, the body of one of Koller's predecessors as professor of Hebrew was dug up, charged with heresy and burned, in a sign of her regime's displeasure. But Koller said Henry's decision also reflected the status of Hebrew alongside ancient Greek and Latin as a classical language of scholars. Studying Hebrew allowed intellectuals to tap into thousands of years of literature spread across the world. Koller, who teaches at Yeshiva University in New York, said part of his new role will be 'convincing the British public that Hebrew studies is of broad interest,' regardless of background or religion. Koller said: 'One of the challenges we've had, politically and educationally, is that the idea of Hebrew has been tied in with a particular nation state in the past 75 years. 'While that has some advantages – suddenly you have 10 million native speakers of the language – it also has educational disadvantages because people are thinking, Hebrew is quite a political thing. Whereas no one thinks that about Latin, it's easier to sell it as politics-free than Hebrew, which immediately makes people think: what am I doing with this country of Israel? Do I like it? Do I want to go there? 'But part of my role is to say: Hebrew has a massively and really fascinatingly long history, and has nothing to do with the nation state that happens to exist today in the 21st century. 'You can study medieval Hebrew and be enthralled by the poetry and the philosophy without coming across as taking a stand on a contested issue.' Cambridge's archives include the priceless Genizah Collection of nearly 200,000 books, letters and documents, written mainly in Hebrew, Arabic and Aramaic, retrieved from a Cairo synagogue's storeroom at the end of the 19th century. Koller's own research has included an ancient Hebrew text discovered in a cave in Dunhuang, western China, alongside 40,000 Buddhist manuscripts. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Even during the centuries when Jews were banned from Britain, Koller said there were scholars of Hebrew working on medieval manuscripts in college libraries, although Jews were barred from academic posts until 1871. Geoffrey Khan, Cambridge's current Regius professor, said that until the 1930s the holder had to be an ordained Anglican, and until Khan's own appointment in 2012 the holders had been primarily biblical scholars. Khan said it was 'important to see Hebrew in a wider perspective, including ancient, medieval and modern manifestations,' alongside related Semitic languages and cultures. 'Aaron Koller has a similar interest in taking a wider perspective in his work. I am very happy with his appointment,' said Khan. 'This wider contextualisation of Hebrew in the broader cultures of the Middle East is, I believe, a key change to the profile of the Cambridge professorship of Hebrew that is significant for the history of the post.' Koller said: 'One of the things that attracted me to the job is that Hebrew, as conceived in the position, is not religiously aligned. It's a world cultural language, it's alongside Farsi, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic. 'The same way that we have classics – where we teach Greek and Latin because there are sources and texts that need to be accessible and of interest to all people who are interested in humanistic inquiry – the same is true of Hebrew, and Farsi, and Chinese. And that's how I see my role.'
