Monday, October 23, 2023
Welsh Senedd opening Pandora's box
The decision by the Welsh Senedd Presiding Officer to remove GB News from the Parliament's television feed has receievd a rather predictable reaction from the Welsh Tory leader, who, I understand is a regular performer on the channel.
Wales-on-line say that GB News is no longer allowed to be shown on any of the Senedd's TVs, which are dotted around only the internal walls of the building, because it is "contrary to the parliament's values", whatever they are:
A spokesperson for the Llywydd of the Parliament Elin Jones said: "GB News has been removed from the Senedd’s internal television system following a recent broadcast that was deliberately offensive, demeaning to public debate and contrary to our parliament’s values. There are now several ongoing Ofcom investigations into the channel. The Commission will discuss the issue at a future meeting, and staff and Members who wish to view GB News will still be able to do so online in the Senedd.” To get the latest political news and analysis, subscribe to our daily Wales Matters newsletter here.
GB News regularly hosts the Welsh Conservative leader of the opposition Andrew RT Davies. His comments on the channel include those where he incorrectly suggested that the Welsh Government was giving £1,600 to any asylum seeker who wanted to "rock up and claim they are crossing the Channel illegally". Mr Davies is currently under investigation from the standards commissioner over his comments.
Back in March Labour MS Jenny Rathbone called on the Llywydd to take this measure. She said in the chamber: "On a wider issue, GB News, which has been found in breach of Ofcom guidelines around Covid vaccines, has many items broadcasting disinformation or hateful views, and it's currently broadcast on our internal televisions. I just wondered if any thought had been given to whether it was appropriate for an organisation that might continue to disseminate disinformation to be broadcast through our systems to our staff and members."
At the time Ms Jones said that she hadn't considered the possibility of banning the station. "Coming on to your second point, it's something that I haven't given any thought to at all. I'll need to take away the issue that you've raised about GB News as a news channel—I think it's a news channel—that is transmitted within the Senedd. I make no comment at all on it, actually, because I've given it no thought at all, but I will since it's been raised by you."
There is no doubt in my mind that much of the content broadcast by this TV channel is right wing nonsense, and there is no way I would want to watch it, nor have it in my life. But is that a justification for banning it? In a democracy, should a Parliamentary body be taking value decisions such as this about broadcasters?
Rather predictably, the Welsh Tory leader, in a news item for GB News which I will refrain from linking to on grounds of taste and decency, has hit back, arguing that the Sennedd Commission should also remove the BBC given the national broadcaster’s numerous scandals over the years and their recent refusal to brand Hamas “terrorists”. And there is the dilemma in a nutshell.
Once you start banning things for any reason, but especially because of a political difference, you open a pandora's box, and people start popping up calling for other things to be banned, until you end up living in a dictatorship.
Clearly, removing GB News from the Senedd's TV feed cannot be in line with the Parliament's values, as a significant minority disagree with the decision. Unfortunately, the instinct to ban things and nanny people is an instinct all too common in the current Welsh Parliament.
If the Presiding Officer is wise, she will quietly drop this ban and let staff members and MSs watch what they want. To do otherwise must surely be against the values of a democratic society.
Wales-on-line say that GB News is no longer allowed to be shown on any of the Senedd's TVs, which are dotted around only the internal walls of the building, because it is "contrary to the parliament's values", whatever they are:
A spokesperson for the Llywydd of the Parliament Elin Jones said: "GB News has been removed from the Senedd’s internal television system following a recent broadcast that was deliberately offensive, demeaning to public debate and contrary to our parliament’s values. There are now several ongoing Ofcom investigations into the channel. The Commission will discuss the issue at a future meeting, and staff and Members who wish to view GB News will still be able to do so online in the Senedd.” To get the latest political news and analysis, subscribe to our daily Wales Matters newsletter here.
GB News regularly hosts the Welsh Conservative leader of the opposition Andrew RT Davies. His comments on the channel include those where he incorrectly suggested that the Welsh Government was giving £1,600 to any asylum seeker who wanted to "rock up and claim they are crossing the Channel illegally". Mr Davies is currently under investigation from the standards commissioner over his comments.
Back in March Labour MS Jenny Rathbone called on the Llywydd to take this measure. She said in the chamber: "On a wider issue, GB News, which has been found in breach of Ofcom guidelines around Covid vaccines, has many items broadcasting disinformation or hateful views, and it's currently broadcast on our internal televisions. I just wondered if any thought had been given to whether it was appropriate for an organisation that might continue to disseminate disinformation to be broadcast through our systems to our staff and members."
At the time Ms Jones said that she hadn't considered the possibility of banning the station. "Coming on to your second point, it's something that I haven't given any thought to at all. I'll need to take away the issue that you've raised about GB News as a news channel—I think it's a news channel—that is transmitted within the Senedd. I make no comment at all on it, actually, because I've given it no thought at all, but I will since it's been raised by you."
There is no doubt in my mind that much of the content broadcast by this TV channel is right wing nonsense, and there is no way I would want to watch it, nor have it in my life. But is that a justification for banning it? In a democracy, should a Parliamentary body be taking value decisions such as this about broadcasters?
Rather predictably, the Welsh Tory leader, in a news item for GB News which I will refrain from linking to on grounds of taste and decency, has hit back, arguing that the Sennedd Commission should also remove the BBC given the national broadcaster’s numerous scandals over the years and their recent refusal to brand Hamas “terrorists”. And there is the dilemma in a nutshell.
Once you start banning things for any reason, but especially because of a political difference, you open a pandora's box, and people start popping up calling for other things to be banned, until you end up living in a dictatorship.
Clearly, removing GB News from the Senedd's TV feed cannot be in line with the Parliament's values, as a significant minority disagree with the decision. Unfortunately, the instinct to ban things and nanny people is an instinct all too common in the current Welsh Parliament.
If the Presiding Officer is wise, she will quietly drop this ban and let staff members and MSs watch what they want. To do otherwise must surely be against the values of a democratic society.
