When it comes to an SNP MSP texting a 16-year-old, Willie Rennie is right at the front baying for blood but when it was his old leader David Steel, clearly failing the victims of the serial actual physical abuse of boys by his pal Cyril Smith, he was in a more forgiving mood:

The Lib Dems have reinstated former leader David Steel after a probe into what he knew about abuse claims against the late MP Cyril Smith. The peer was suspended from the party after comments he made about Smith to an independent child abuse inquiry. He said he had “assumed” allegations against the Rochdale MP were true, but that it was “nothing to do with me“. The party ruled there were “no grounds for action” against Lord Steel as Smith “did not confess to any criminality”. Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie said it had been important to seek “clarification” but said the issue had boiled down to “a hearing difficulty and a lack of precision in providing some answers” on the part of Lord Steel.

But lawyer Richard Scorer, who represents some of those alleging abuse by Smith, said the party’s decision was “disappointing”. Mr Scorer, of law firm Slater and Gordon, also claimed it was “premature” of the Liberal Democrats to conclude their investigation without waiting for the findings of the abuse inquiry. He said: “Lord Steel’s evidence and the dismissive way in which he delivered it was truly shocking. The least my clients are owed is for the matter to be investigated in a thorough, open and transparent way rather than behind closed doors.”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-48268104

Social media comments were not favourable for Rennie:

No need for me to comment.