Yesterday I wondered why the Wasting Mule always seemed to have a Labour spokesman at hand to
repudiate Plaid claims and if was the same person every time but I sometime
wonder if he siting in an office in the Mules HQ.
Whatever the case they do not seem to offer the chance of other Parties to question Labour Ministers Statement.
Two articles Today seem to back my suspicions. both being crucial for the Assembly.
Firstly we have the First Minister Carwyn Jones has been given a fair bit of space calling on David Cameron to engage directly with him to address issues about the next chapter of devolution – teling MPs that letters to the PM can go unanswered.
Mr Jones warned MPs of the threat of the “ultimate tragedy” of the UK breaking up.
The Mule says
There does not be room for a Westminster "Spokesman" to respond or any Welsh Party and there is not even an analysis from a "devolution expert".
The second Article has the Banner Headline
The health service is set for a boost with an extra £260m as the Welsh government unveils its spending plans.
Finance Minister Jane Hutt said the 2016/17 draft budget would back Labour's "principles and priorities".
She claimed the Welsh government faced a 3.6% cut in UK government funding over five years, once the effects of inflation were taken into account.
Ms Hutt said the aim was to support key public services while also encouraging business.
The lion's share of the Welsh government's £15.3bn budget comes from the UK Treasury, apart from about £1bn raised in business rates.
Ms Hutt added:
No opposition "Spokesman" seems to have been found to comment even for one to wonder cynically that 2016 is Election Year in the Assembly .
We may have some in Tomorrows Mule but whats the Betting that a Labour Spokesman will be on hand to repudiate Plaids, Tory or LibDems response accusing the of being "economically Illiterate"
We can only wonder if this is as a result of
I leave it to you to make your own nind up
Whatever the case they do not seem to offer the chance of other Parties to question Labour Ministers Statement.
Two articles Today seem to back my suspicions. both being crucial for the Assembly.
Firstly we have the First Minister Carwyn Jones has been given a fair bit of space calling on David Cameron to engage directly with him to address issues about the next chapter of devolution – teling MPs that letters to the PM can go unanswered.
Mr Jones warned MPs of the threat of the “ultimate tragedy” of the UK breaking up.
The Mule says
The Welsh Labour leader also warned that key bodies designed to bring senior figures from the different governments around the UK had stopped meeting regularly, and pressed the prime minister to engage with him on the planned Wales Bill.
Mr Jones said he would meet with Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb on average once a month but only see the prime minister on an annual basis.
He said: “It’s probably fair to say that we do not have regular contact with the prime minister, to the extent that letters are not always answered. “
The first minister said the Welsh Government had “not had a response” about discussing the proposed Wales Bill.
There does not be room for a Westminster "Spokesman" to respond or any Welsh Party and there is not even an analysis from a "devolution expert".
The second Article has the Banner Headline
Protecting the public services that people value the most has been crucial' Jane Hutt set to deliver challenging Welsh Government Budget
The health service is set for a boost with an extra £260m as the Welsh government unveils its spending plans.
Finance Minister Jane Hutt said the 2016/17 draft budget would back Labour's "principles and priorities".
She claimed the Welsh government faced a 3.6% cut in UK government funding over five years, once the effects of inflation were taken into account.
Ms Hutt said the aim was to support key public services while also encouraging business.
The lion's share of the Welsh government's £15.3bn budget comes from the UK Treasury, apart from about £1bn raised in business rates.
Ms Hutt added:
"The message of this 'fairer, better Wales' budget today is about ensuring that we do support these public services that mean most to the people of Wales, but also that we enable business to progress for a buoyant and prosperous economy.The Mule only finds space in advance of the Budget,for coments by Bob Wellington, who leads both the Welsh Local Government Association and Torfaen council ,who said local authorities were calling for an urgent investment into preventative local public services .and David Morgan, policy manager of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in Wales,
"It's tough in terms of how then you divvy out the money in terms of our spend
No opposition "Spokesman" seems to have been found to comment even for one to wonder cynically that 2016 is Election Year in the Assembly .
We may have some in Tomorrows Mule but whats the Betting that a Labour Spokesman will be on hand to repudiate Plaids, Tory or LibDems response accusing the of being "economically Illiterate"
We can only wonder if this is as a result of
- Lazy journalism just copying a Welsh Goverment Prees release,
- Proof that the Mule's staff have been cut to far to make it a effective investigative newspapers
- The other Parties do not have a effective press office
- Or a far to cosy relationship with the Labour Party.
I leave it to you to make your own nind up
3 comments:
Sounds so much like the things which happen here in Scotland and you he
ave to remember that we actually have an SNP Government though you would find it difficult to believe. Labour are asked to comment first on everything, the SNP usually are interviewed outside of the Studio and whoops they lose the line or the sound goes off.
We no longer have journalists in any part of the good old Yoo Kay, we have purveyors of propaganda. BBC Scotland are a Branch of the Labour Party and the Labour Party is the Establishment Stooges and have been for decades.
On the subject of economic illiteracy may I say that the fracas we are suffering with the closure of the Forth Road Bridge, if Labour had had more foresight in the 90's and gone ahead with a replacement we would not be in the place we are today. Fortunately we have only another year till the replacement is up and running. The Scottish Office commissioned a survey in the 90's on the subject of the Bridge, then cancelled it and then had to spend 200 million pounds for nothing, Economic Literacy is not their forte.
"Why does the Wasting Mule only find a "Labour Spokesman"? when reporting on Wales."
Surely as employees of Trinity Mirror that makes them all a Labour Spokesman?
Far from being the 'ultimate tragedy' the break-up of the UK would be something really positive, a new beginning for us all!
In terms of a decent media machine that actually reflects what is happening in Wales, (or Scotland, for that matter, despite the existence of a discrete Scottish press) it will have to come from the people themselves, such as has happened in Scotland with Wings Over Scotland and The National. We are only too well aware that the mainstream news media only reflects the viewpoint of the ruling regime, as witnessed recently with the almost total lack of coverage of the British Muslims protesting against Daesh recently in London, with only The Mirror giving it any significant coverage. In Wales, it amazes me that coverage of rugby always seems to trump real news in our 'national newspaper'!
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