Dear Irfan...

It seems that, instead of properly answering the question I put to you last week, you've decided to have a bit of a whinge about the fact that I've attacked you.

No, I don't make a habit of attacking you. Heavens, if I had a go every time I thought that you'd written something I consider to be wrong, I wouldn't have nearly 900 postings, it would be rather higher. On the contrary, because you place barriers in the way of commenters - is registration really necessary? - I prefer to use my blog to point out that I disagree.

Indeed, on the two occasions that I have indicated that I think that you're wrong, you've withdrawn your initial assertion under a hail of comments attacking your position. I fully accept that I called you out on the use of homophobic language last year, and I wasn't the only one to do so. I overlooked the anti-semitic language you used in your piece on Gaza only because of the condemnation that came from other quarters. You have an unfortunate habit of using language with a lack of thought and sense of context, and when that is used as a stick to beat our Party, as it was by Iain Dale, I see no reason to let it slide.

Your cavalier disregard for facts is occasionally troubling but, for the most part it falls within the category of freedom of expression. When you attack our MPs for wasting public money however, and offer an ill thought out suggestion, I have a right to respond, and on this particular occasion, I took the opportunity, as I potentially would if an opposition politician was equally reckless/stupid.

Now the use of the phrase 'cavalier disregard for facts' is quite a strong one, I know. However, you are at liberty to test it and here are two questions for you;

1. When were our two pieces, the piece by me challenging you, and the piece where you first addressed the Alastair Carmichael question, posted?

2. How many times have postings of mine been in the Golden Dozen, and how many of them have been about you?

You evidently know the answers, because you assert that you do, so it shouldn't take very long, should it?

Yours sincerely,

Mark