Peter Reynolds

Jonathan Bucks

An email popped into my inbox this morning announcing the Mail on Sunday’s intention to ‘do a hatchet job’ on me in tomorrow’s edition, just as it did to my friend and colleague Mike Barnes last weekend.  The email and my response are published below.

Evidently, cub reporter Jonathan Bucks took umbrage at my response to his work last weekend. My tweets from my own account and CLEAR’s seem to have upset him.  It’s no surprise at all of course to see a Mail publication using its power to bully an individual. That’s the way the Fleet Street Mafia works.  Six years ago it branded me a ‘cannabis zealot’ because I insisted on some scientific accuracy rather than hysterical scaremongering. See: ‘Boasts of cannabis zealot who forced anti-drugs JP to quit: Campaigner who made complaint says drug is ‘safer than peanuts”

From: Jonathan Bucks <Jonathan.Bucks@mailonsunday.co.uk>
Sent: 15 December 2018 09:37
To: peterreynolds@clear-uk.org
Subject: Mail on Sunday request

Hi Peter

Jonathan Bucks from the Mail on Sunday here.

Tomorrow (16^th) we will be running a story naming both you and CLEAR. Specifically, we will be reporting that CLEAR has changed its policy and is encouraging people to buy cannabis seeds so they can grow their own cannabis. This is despite CLEAR’s claims that it ‘does not advocate, condone or encourage breaking the law’ and it ‘exists to promote a change in the law by legitimate means’.

We will also be reporting that in the past you have made anti-Semitic and homophobic comments on your blog. We will be reporting that you described Jewish people as ‘evil’ and Israel as ‘the Nazi power in the world’.

We will also report that you wrote: ‘Homosexuality is a perversion from the norm and gay culture has been allowed virtually to extinguish heterosexual influence in the fashion industry.’

This is a chance for you to make any comments you wish regarding the change in policy, as well as explain the offensive remarks you have made in the past.

I would be grateful if you could please get back to me by 3pm today (15^th).

Kind regards

Jonathan Bucks

Mail on Sunday reporter

From: peter@peter-reynolds.co.uk <peter@peter-reynolds.co.uk>
Sent: 15 December 2018 11:29
To: ‘Jonathan Bucks’ <Jonathan.Bucks@mailonsunday.co.uk>
Subject: RE: Mail on Sunday request

Dear Jonathan,

Yes, CLEAR has changed its policy on home cultivation.  It is no longer against the law to use cannabis for medicinal purposes and I congratulate Sajid Javid on taking the law out of the equation completely.  The problem now is an appalling ignorance of the science and the evidence amongst doctors. While lack of knowledge can be excused, bigotry, refusal to educate themselves and placing their caution and fear above the interests of patients cannot.  The dreadful NHS guidelines are preventing patients accessing the medicine they need and it seems only private doctors have the courage to make their own decisions.  In these circumstances the ethical and economical choice is to grow your own.

I am neither anti-semitic nor homophobic. On the contrary, I regard tolerance and liberty as the most important principles. Only those who seek to twist my words make these deliberate misinterpretations.

I do not regard Jewish people as evil.  In some ways they are as much victims of the evil Israeli regime as all the inhabitants of Palestine.  It is a fact that the violent oppression, apartheid and vicious policies pursued by Netanyahu’s war criminal government are closely comparable with the Nazi regime.

Yes, homosexual culture does dominate the fashion industry which is an imbalance that would be better corrected.  The context of my remarks was in discussing dangerously underweight models who look more like boys than women. It will be no surprise to see your ‘newspaper’ publish my remarks out of context. See my full article from 2009 here: https://peter-reynolds.co.uk/2009/06/13/size-0-the-politically-incorrect-truth/

Thank you for asking for my comments.  My remarks are not offensive unless you choose to interpret them that way.  I have been subject to the same and similar fake allegations and smears previously.  The High Court considered whether they could be justified and as a result issued an Injunction prohibiting their repetition in 2014, see https://peter-reynolds.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/high-court-injunction-250714.pdf

A very Merry Christmas to you.

Kind regards,

Peter Reynolds