TV presenter Neil Oliver has laughed off calls for him to ousted from his new role as president of the National Trust for Scotland — and insists internet trolls are wasting their time.
The archaeologist and author, who took took on the heritage role last month, faced a deluge of vitriolic online insults he says have had no effect on him.
Some nationalists demanded he be removed from his new job for being critical of Nicola Sturgeon and Scottish independence, but Oliver has no plans to step down and insists he is under no pressure to do so.
“It’s water off a duck’s back,” Oliver said of the “anonymous” keyboard warriors who slated him following the appointment. “I suppose it comes if you are in the public eye and you put your head above the parapet, that people have their opinions about my opinions. It is only coming from anonyous commentators. I treat anonymous criticism differently to how I would if people were putting things to me with their name to it. People are always happy to shout about things through the medium of their computer keyboards.
“This is not going to get to me and it’s doesn’t bother me at all.”
Following his appointment to the NTS, Oliver - who took over from Lord Lindsay - was being described on social media as a “British nationalist fanatic” who “actively works against the interests of Scotland”.
The respected broadcaster qualified as an archaeologist in 1988 and has presented programmes for the BBC and Channel 4. He has also written several books.
But he sparked anger among pro-independence campaigners last year when he criticised Miss Sturgeon, Alex Salmond and the Yes Scotland campaign in a newspaper column.
He wrote: “Salmond is a big, round wrecking ball of a man, shaped only to do damage. He and his sort - Sturgeon and the rest - fail even to comprehend what it is they behold and despise.”
One online petition demanding he be fired from his trust role attracted more than 3,000 signatures before it was disabled by petition website 38 degrees for breaching its guidelines.
“It is an opinion I have and I have been public about it for the last couple of years and I don’t mind people taking exception to my opinions,” Oliver said.
The NTS, he says, is uninterested in his political leanings.
“The National Trust is a completely apolitical organisation. Some members have political opinions, some have no political opinions,” Oliver said. “I am another member of the NTS. I don’t think they care at all about my opinions. That is a part of my private life and another aspect of my day to day. It doesn’t involve them at all.”
Oliver has refused to condemn those who called for his removal from his NTS role.
“It is an absolutely free country,” he said. “People can have their opinions and express them as colourfully as they like. Good luck to them. I’m perfectly relaxed about it.”
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