Sunday, June 24, 2007
The tide of history
The relationship between the Wales on Sunday and various internet sites is getting more and more incestuous. It is just that blogs and social networking sites like Facebook are such good sources of stories.
Today for example, the paper catches up with David Davies MP and his blog item on why foreigners should be charged for using the NHS. David concludes that we should insist that absolutely everyone arriving here from outside of the EU, should be in receipt of a verifiable health insurance document which could be checked by immigration officials.
Later on in the paper there is a report on the tongue in cheek Facebook group entitled 'Paul Potts was a Lib Dem Councillor! (Legend!). The founder of the group explains that the singing sensation that is Britain's Got Talent Winner Paul Potts was more than just an employee of Car Phone Warehouse. He was a Lib Dem Councillor on Bristol City Council until he stood down there in 2003.
So this unique group is dedicated not so much to the fact that this humble and yet uber-talented chappy from Port Talbot managed to wow the nation and win after a cracking rendition of Nessun Dorma......no, it's dedicated to the fact that before he hit fame and fortune and worlwide acclaim, he was once a Lib Dem Councillor!
Finally, the Spin Doctor column picks up on a blog report of Lembit Öpik clutching two pints of the House of Commons' guest ale, Top Totty in one of the Houses of Parliament bars. I thought I had read this on Paul Flynn's blog but I cannot find it right now as he does not have a search facility. There is a remarkable and disturbing synchronicity in my web browsing and that of Matt Withers.
The most fascinating piece in the Spin Doctor column however is the lead item on Alun Cairns' Parliamentary ambitions. Matt speculates that 'the popular Mr. Cairns' has a good chance of overturning John Smith's 1,808 majority in the Vale of Glamorgan. If this happens he reports, then Alun will be succeeded in the Assembly by his former researcher, Alex Williams. Really?
I would hate to suggest that there has been some spinning going on here, but it is a fact that the number two on the Conservative list in South Wales West last time was not Alex Williams, but former leader of Porthcawl Town Council, ex-radio talkshow jock and freelance sports journalist, Chris Smart.
Mr. Smart suffered quite badly from a dirty tricks campaign just as the Assembly elections were getting underway and it was widely reported that senior Conservatives did not want him to continue as a candidate. Now it appears that the tide of history has washed him away, except that from my knowledge of Chris Smart he will not be so easily pushed aside.
Is there a story here that has not been revealed? Has the pseudonymous Spin Doctor missed a trick in his reporting of the internal affairs of the Welsh Conservative Party? Perhaps he should pick up the hint from this blog and get us chapter and verse by next Sunday.
Today for example, the paper catches up with David Davies MP and his blog item on why foreigners should be charged for using the NHS. David concludes that we should insist that absolutely everyone arriving here from outside of the EU, should be in receipt of a verifiable health insurance document which could be checked by immigration officials.
Later on in the paper there is a report on the tongue in cheek Facebook group entitled 'Paul Potts was a Lib Dem Councillor! (Legend!). The founder of the group explains that the singing sensation that is Britain's Got Talent Winner Paul Potts was more than just an employee of Car Phone Warehouse. He was a Lib Dem Councillor on Bristol City Council until he stood down there in 2003.
So this unique group is dedicated not so much to the fact that this humble and yet uber-talented chappy from Port Talbot managed to wow the nation and win after a cracking rendition of Nessun Dorma......no, it's dedicated to the fact that before he hit fame and fortune and worlwide acclaim, he was once a Lib Dem Councillor!
Finally, the Spin Doctor column picks up on a blog report of Lembit Öpik clutching two pints of the House of Commons' guest ale, Top Totty in one of the Houses of Parliament bars. I thought I had read this on Paul Flynn's blog but I cannot find it right now as he does not have a search facility. There is a remarkable and disturbing synchronicity in my web browsing and that of Matt Withers.
The most fascinating piece in the Spin Doctor column however is the lead item on Alun Cairns' Parliamentary ambitions. Matt speculates that 'the popular Mr. Cairns' has a good chance of overturning John Smith's 1,808 majority in the Vale of Glamorgan. If this happens he reports, then Alun will be succeeded in the Assembly by his former researcher, Alex Williams. Really?
I would hate to suggest that there has been some spinning going on here, but it is a fact that the number two on the Conservative list in South Wales West last time was not Alex Williams, but former leader of Porthcawl Town Council, ex-radio talkshow jock and freelance sports journalist, Chris Smart.
Mr. Smart suffered quite badly from a dirty tricks campaign just as the Assembly elections were getting underway and it was widely reported that senior Conservatives did not want him to continue as a candidate. Now it appears that the tide of history has washed him away, except that from my knowledge of Chris Smart he will not be so easily pushed aside.
Is there a story here that has not been revealed? Has the pseudonymous Spin Doctor missed a trick in his reporting of the internal affairs of the Welsh Conservative Party? Perhaps he should pick up the hint from this blog and get us chapter and verse by next Sunday.
Comments:
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Yes, why? My stats are open to public inspection just by clicking the extreme tracking symbol below the links.
Reason was prompted by your reference to the press monitoring blogs. Just wondered about the level of penetration your blog has. Given the small size of the political and journalist interest group in Wales it looks pretty good. A good platform on which to conduct the debate!
# posted by 
: 12:03 PM
: 12:03 PM
Obviously a slack news week! Perhaps Matt would like to check out the similarly tongue in cheek "Assembly staff are wonderful and grossly under-rated." or the recently ceated "WLD bloody minded women appreciation society".
Well we have to have something to amuse ourselves with whilst the dance goes on.
Well we have to have something to amuse ourselves with whilst the dance goes on.
Peter,
A fascinating piece indeed and it seems to be causing a few headaches. Perhaps I can just shed some light on the matter and put it on the record that Alun and I knew nothing of the article and that I am not trying to push Chris Smart aside.
As far as I am concerned, there is no story to be revealed.
As I mentioned on my own blog on monday http://cascittuni.blogspot.com that I have no idea from where the author of the Spin Doctor column got his information.
As you rightly point out, I was not number 2 or a candidate at all during the Assembly Elections so it would be boorish to say that I am "quite confident" of assuming Alun's position when he moves up to Westminster.
As someone who is only 22, I am flattered to be considered a possible contender by one of my colleagues but to say that I am "quite confident" is a gross overexaggeration. Those who know me, know that I would never be so arrogant to say anything like that.
Although I have made no secret that I would like to contribute to Welsh Politics at some stage in the future, it is early days and like all potential candidates, I would have to go through the same rigorous selection procedure.
I honestly think that as I was Alun's press officer and seeing that I have just started my own political blog, the press have jumped to the wrong conlusions and that this is just press mischief and speculation.
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A fascinating piece indeed and it seems to be causing a few headaches. Perhaps I can just shed some light on the matter and put it on the record that Alun and I knew nothing of the article and that I am not trying to push Chris Smart aside.
As far as I am concerned, there is no story to be revealed.
As I mentioned on my own blog on monday http://cascittuni.blogspot.com that I have no idea from where the author of the Spin Doctor column got his information.
As you rightly point out, I was not number 2 or a candidate at all during the Assembly Elections so it would be boorish to say that I am "quite confident" of assuming Alun's position when he moves up to Westminster.
As someone who is only 22, I am flattered to be considered a possible contender by one of my colleagues but to say that I am "quite confident" is a gross overexaggeration. Those who know me, know that I would never be so arrogant to say anything like that.
Although I have made no secret that I would like to contribute to Welsh Politics at some stage in the future, it is early days and like all potential candidates, I would have to go through the same rigorous selection procedure.
I honestly think that as I was Alun's press officer and seeing that I have just started my own political blog, the press have jumped to the wrong conlusions and that this is just press mischief and speculation.
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