Tuesday 11 October 2016

Was Alun Cairns' smear part of a Question Time setup against Plaid?

Plaid Cymru have taken their  complaint  to the Speaker of the House of Commons about Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns’ claim there are “nationalist activists that take direct action against people who come in”.
During an appearance on BBC Question Time last week, Mr Cairns told Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood that “many” of her party’s members have “taken direct action in the past” and “broken the law to that effect”.
Mr Cairns also remarked that it “wasn’t so long ago that some of the cottages were being burned down”.
Speaking in the Commons, Arfon MP Hywel Williams said: 
“Despite many requests to the Secretary of State, he has failed provide any evidence for this. Neither has he withdrawn his accusations nor apologised.
“People throughout Wales are outraged at these slurs on their communities. But for us today, his accusations relate to Plaid Cymru members.
“I am a Plaid Cymru member. Is he accusing me? Or [Carmarthen East and Dinefwr MP Jonathan Edwards] or [Dwyfor Meirionnydd MP Liz Saville Roberts], English by birth and bought up in Eltham in London?”


Commons Speaker John Bercow said:


 “[The] Question Time to which he refers is that on the BBC, not that in the House of Commons. While my responsibility extends to the latter, it does not do so in respect of the former, as I dare say the honourable gentleman knows very well.
“His views, nonetheless, are on the record.
“I do not treat what he has said in any way with levity or disinterest but as a matter of fact it does not fall within the remit of the chair to handle.
“We shall have to leave it there for now.”


The hashtag #WeAreWales was started on Twitter after many users took offence to some of the Welsh Secretary's comments n Thursday night's Question Time

ople are very proud to be Welsh


Best thing on Twitter right now:  hashtag. Proud to have been born and bred in this welcoming, beautiful country.!


Proud to be a progressive, fair and tolerant Welshman. Reject hate and fear mongering. We are a welcoming nation

Being Welsh can mean a lot of different things


Remember folks, Welshness is a state of mind not an accident of birth. 

I couldn't care less about
your skin colour, what language you spk or where you're from.

If you live in  we are equals!


Race, religion, sexual orientation, country of origin, none of these matter to me. If you've made Wales your home, you're Welsh. 

It doesn't matter if you speak Welsh or not...


Not all of us was born in wales
Not all of us can speak welsh but
We stand together and
We care about all people of Wales. 

There were even contributions from Labour AM and MPs including   the First  Minister.

Carwyn Jones' tweet
However maybe we need to know what part the BBC played in "setting up" the conditions for Mr Cairns atrocious smear.

The speaker assertions that 

"Question Time to which he refers is that on the BBC, not that in the House of Commons". 
Has merit so may be we shift this to the BBC  and ask them

Did they Trawl the initial question about  proposed changes to the Welsh policy  of a school  in Carmarthen in order to attack Leanne Wood ?

Question Time when it comes to Wales has a record of ignoring Welsh Topics and only seem to allow questions that are of the  anti Welsh Nationalist nature.

And Why weas the Chair David Dimbleby reluctant  to intervene and "Question" Cairns smears?

What is the BBC policy on inviting guest on Question time ?

Often there is only one or two panellists  from Wales as would have happened on Thursday if Neil Hamilton had not replaced someone who puled out.

What is the procedure for choosing the Questions from the Audience.

Are questions about Wales ( where many of the panel are ignorant of the facts) only allowed to trap the Plaid panellist?

Its time the BBC explained its methods and policy on Question Time in a Welsh context indeed its time to question its so called impartiality over the nature of the program.


4 comments:

Alan said...

I saw that episode of QT. Absolutely disgraceful. It looked like they used the playbook they use whenever they have a SNP MP on.

Some of the questions - jeez. "You, person who doesn't work at this zoo! Tell me if the elephants are pink or orange and what you're going to do about it!"

Leigh Richards said...

"Was Alun Cairns' smear part of a Question Time setup against Plaid?" these were my thoughts exactly after the programme glyn, and outlined here :

https://rodolfowalshglasses.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/more-ambush-time-than-question-time.html

But the response since the programme has been heartening - illustrated by the huge popularity of the 'We are Wales' hashtag. Perhaps the old tactic of trying to divide people in Wales along cultural lines no longer works? George Thomas will be turning in his grave lol

Anonymous said...

Perhaps the blatant bias will open welsh eyes and help Plaid Cymru long term or perhaps it’s time for Plaid Cymru and the SNP to boycott the show, it’s become a far right platform to blame all problems on foreigners under Dimbleby’s shamelessly biased chairing.

Anonymous said...

Just because Alun Cairns looks like an overgrown schoolboy he doesn't have to behave like one.

Whereas Leanne Wood has a welcoming attitude to immigrants, we all know Cains view on foreigners, if his remark regarding Italians is anything to go by!