Furious Sir Sean cancels Festival audience

SIR Sean Connery last night pulled out of a high-profile festival appearance at the Scottish Parliament, furious that he was going to be asked questions about his views on violence against women.

The former James Bond star had agreed to take part in a public discussion with George Reid, the Presiding Officer, in front of an audience.

But in an interview with Holyrood magazine earlier this month, Mr Reid promised to ask the 75-year-old actor tough questions about his views on violence against women.

"He [Sir Sean] will be asked difficult questions - about did a slap never do a woman any harm, for example," Mr Reid said.

This was a reference to the controversy that has dogged Sir Sean for years, after comments he reportedly made to a US magazine in 1993 which he stated: "To slap a woman is not the cruellest thing you can do to her."

When Sir Sean read Mr Reid's comments and scores of headlines which yet again drew attention to his views on violence against women, he was so angry he withdrew immediately from the Festival of Politics.

It is understood that he telephoned Mr Reid last Tuesday to complain about his comments and, although Mr Reid apologised, Sir Sean refused to reconsider his decision.

The actor's withdrawal represents a major embarrassment for Mr Reid, who has been the inspiration and the driving force behind the Festival of Politics, which took place for the first time last year.

This year will be Mr Reid's last such festival before he steps down as Presiding Officer at next May's elections and he was delighted when he felt he would be able to finish with a high-profile interview with someone of Sir Sean's fame and popularity. The "in conversation" event was destined to be a sell-out, the highlight of the Festival of Politics and one of the major events of the festival season.

The Festival of Politics will be launched on Monday, but without the fanfare that would have accompanied Sir Sean's participation.

A parliament spokesman admitted yesterday that Mr Reid had tried to convince Sir Sean to change his mind, but without success.

He said: "Earlier this week, the Presiding Officer offered his apology to Sir Sean for the hurt and annoyance caused by the resulting media coverage. The Presiding Officer stated, however, that the principles of the Festival of Politics meant he had to conduct an uncompromising interview in a BBC style."

The festival will still run for four days - a day longer than last year's, which attracted almost 3,000 visitors.

Around 50 events are planned for the festival, which runs from 23 to 26 August. The parliament spokesman added: "Last year's festival was very successful and we hope this year's will be every bit as well received."

However, Sir Sean's absence will be even more keenly felt by the organisers because, during the time when the Festival of Politics takes place, the film star will be in Edinburgh for ten days as patron of the Film Festival.

Sir Sean attended the opening of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 and was at the opening five years later of the £431 million Holyrood building.

The actor's first wife, Diane Cilento, 72, who now lives in Australia, was married to Sir Sean for more than a decade.

In her recent book, My Nine Lives, she made controversial claims that she was struck on the face and knocked to the floor by Connery one night.