Dead tree press can't see the wood for the trees
At this time of the year we're in need of a good story that not only demonstrates the inconsistency of those running the WAG machine, but also an example of the civil service not getting their own way and promoting one of their own numbers from within.
This story also makes a refreshing change from the media ignoring what other AMs have claimed in expenses. Instead, they choose to turn the rack on the Conservative leader Nick Bourne over a piddling iPod in a desperate attempt to make the story run and run until his resignation as group leader. Hoping then to happily turn the story into a column stocking filler by running another series of leadership election stories that saves them from having to examine and attack the policies and politics of the Welsh Assembly Government.
More effort should be placed on looking into the National Assembly rules and regulations on expenses that allows what may seem by the general public to be inappropriate claims being made by elected politicians. We need to remember that no politician has broken the rules of the Assembly as laid down by Assembly Commission staff.
Have the Western Mail also gone soft on the Assembly Government since coalition? Fear appears to have set in when it comes to taking on the Labour establishment and particularly since forming a coalition with Plaid Cymru. This needs to change.
The Western Mail's latest column filler - iPodGate - should go a long way to guarantee Nick Bourne's short term survival as leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the National Assembly. Welsh politics and political parties are not led by small Welsh media outlets, and no one is going to have the stomach to oust a leader just because a campaign is being run by a Welsh newspaper.
The Welsh Conservative party and group in the Assembly shouldn't follow the Western Mail's lead. It wouldn't be good for party politics in Wales whatever party you support.
Anyway. Enough of my rant before Christmas and back to the other Welsh politics story in the Western Mail that isn't classed as 'iPodGate' or 'a soapbox for Adam Price MP'.
This story of Christmas cheer can be read in the next blog.
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13 comments:
This expenditure is merely a silly mistake. One step too far but nothing too serious. Labour, Plaid and the Liberals have also made equally as silly mistakes on the expenses they've claimed and the Western Mail are making a witchhunt out of it in order to sell their cheap rag.
The BBC have been just as bad. Have you seen the guff on their website?
The BBC and Western Mail have shown their true political colours this year with the headlines they've covered.
Did we expect anything less from them? No!!!
Well atleast the fuss about Nick Bourne iPod is letting poor Mr and Mrs Lewis AM of Merthyr/Penarth (delete as applicable) off the hook this time.
Nick Bourne is not the only AM to take advantage of the system but as leader of the Welsh Conservatives he should be leading by example. This is an error of jusgement not a resignation matter.
Nice title to your post Wagstaff.
Whatever happened to the papers and BBC making a meal of Labour AMs with constituencies 30 minutes from Cardiff but having a house in Penarth? The Labour AMs with houses in Cardiff they already owned and now claim mortgage payments on? The Labour AMs who spend allowances on hi-tech photocopiers that are being used to print political leaflets. Labour AMs who purchase video cameras to promote their own egos online when the facilities are already in place in Cardiff Bay. And that's not even mentioning the lib dems and Plaid.
Suppose the Welsh political children will be calling this a Tory blog again.
It's the BBC and Western Mail making a mountain out of a mole hill again. On with the next story.
Why does Welsh Ramblings post so many anonymous comments on your blog?
The purchase of the IPOD is clearly not a sacking offence, but you do have to ask why so many within the Tory party in Wales are actively lobbying against their leader.
This is not being driven by the media but from within. The media are just reacting to the internal snipes.
Hasn't the press admitted that it's a story that has come from nothing due to their speculation?
I see the Western Mail are still dragging this out with a pointless piece on Nick Bourne's title of professor. It's laughable when written by their Chief Political writer. Hasn't he got any Christmas presents to buy rather than print pointless stories?
P.S. He's bought a special present for Adam Price MP lol
Bourne has been the best performing party leader in the Assembly since its inception and the Conservatives always seen as the main opposition to WAG.
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