Question Time lets Wales down...again...

Fe wnes i wylio Question Time neithiwr am y tro cyntaf ers sbel. Dwi ddim di bod yn ffan o'r rhaglen am y ffordd mae nhw'n trin Cymru a gwleidyddion o Gymru ar y rhaglen. Roeddwn i'n falch o weld Helen Mary yn cynrychioli Plaid, a dwi'n meddwl roedd hi'n hynod effeithiol. Roedd gormod o amser wedi cael ei rhoi at drafod hunangofiannau gwleidyddion, a Cherie Blair yn fy marn i, a phan ceisiwyd trafod y Cynulliad Cenedlaethol roedd Dimbleby yn gloi i rhoi stop i'r drafodaeth. Byddai pobl o ardaloedd eraill Prydain 'ddim yn deall' yn ol fe. Wel, rwy'n ffeindio hynny'n anodd i dderbyn i fod yn onest. Mae'r BBC yn trafod sefyllfa a gweithredoedd gwleidyddol nifer fawr o wledydd heb gor-gymhlethu pethau. Byddai pobl yn gwylio'r sioe o tu allan i Gymru wedi gallu cael darlun o beth sydd yn digwydd yng Nghymru ar hyn o bryd, a sut, efallai rydym yn neud pethau'n well, neu yn wahanol i San Steffan- mae arholiadau sats ond yn un enghraifft o hynny.

Os nad yw rhaglennu megis Question Time, a newyddion rhwydwaith y BBC yn sylweddoli pwysigrwydd adroddiadau ar wleidyddiaeth Cymru a'r Cynulliad, yna mae'n hen bryd i ni datblygu system ein hun yng Nghymru. Rwyf wedi gwylio newyddion y BBC yn y bore pan mae nhw'n trafod addysg a iechyd yn Lloegr dro ar ol tro. Dyw hwn ddim yn adlewyrchu yr hyn sydd yn digwydd yng Nghymru, ond does dim ymdrech ar rhan y BBC i rhoi y darlun lawn o wleidyddiaeth Prydeinig i'w gwylwyr.

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I watched Question Time last night for the fist time in a long while. I'm not its number one fan, especially as its attitude to Welsh politics and Welsh politicians is quite remarkable. I was pleased to see Helen Mary Jones represent Plaid effectively and robustly, although I believe that far too much of the programme's time was spent discussing political autobiographies, and the life of Cherie Blair. When someone in the audience ( a lib dem researcher in the Assembly I believe) tried to discuss Welsh politics, he was quickly put to a stop by Dimbleby. People in other parts of the UK 'wouldn't understand' was the argument put at the time. I really find this quite astonishing. The BBC report about the political make up and the political goings on of countries all over the World. Surely the viewers of Question Time would have found it interesting to learn about how we do things differently, and often better, here in Wales compared to Westminster?- the sats exams are just one example of this.

If programmes such as Question Time, and BBC network news can't see the importance of broadcasting Welsh news and politics, then we have to take our message of discontent to them loud and clear. I have watched BBC breakfast news on numerous occasions where they discuss the education and health policies that affect England, yet this has no bearing on me or my life. It is unfortunate that the BBC don't make more of an effort to create news stories that reflect the political reality across the UK.

London centric Question Time

Here is a letter that I have just written on the Have your Say BBC Question Time site. Basically, Leanne Wood Plaid AM was supposed to be on Question Time tonight, and today she was told that she would be replaced regardless of the fact that her name has been on the website as taking part all week. There are no Plaid politicians on the panel IN WALES. I find this totally unacceptable. Would they do the same thing to the SNP in Scotland? I don't think that they would even consider it. This is censorship on behalf of the BBC.

Please write to complain!

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I would like to place a complaint against Question Time for pulling Leanne Wood AM from the line up for tonight's show. The show will take place in Wales, yet there is no representation from Plaid Cymru- the main opposition party here in Wales. This is totally unacceptable.

In shows that take place in other parts of Britain, smaller parties, and a cross section of opinion has been represented, yet when the show is in Wales this evening, a large percentage of opinion shall in fact be ignored due to the fact that you have neglected to include Plaid representation on the panel.

I will not be watching tonight's show in protest. Leanne Wood is a hard working, campaigning AM, who has appeared on the show previously. The fact that there are no Plaid Cymru politicians on a show in Wales in the run up to May’s Assembly election is outrageous.

Regards

Bethan Jenknis

'Welsh ' Labour confusion

While I've been computerless for the last couple of days, I've been listing some of New Labour in Wales' confusing messages....

1) Rhodri Morgan has stated that he wishes to fight this Assembly election on Welsh issues alone- child poverty and the future of the economy being two main issues. Yet Rhodri has this week concerntrated all his efforts on attacking the Leader of the Conservatives, David Cameron, and his lack of previous political experience. This strategy of attacking Cameron personally- no doubt due to the fear of a 'Cameron factor' affecting Wales in the next election has come about as opposed to looking closer to home -to the Conservative leader in Wales, Nick Bourne.

2)Following a failed attempt by Labour MP's in Wales to oust Tony Blair during the summer of 2006, and despite most Labour MP's and AM's lending their support to Gordon Brown for the PM's job, you'd think that Blair would get the message that any words of wisdom on the forthcoming Welsh Assembly election would be unpopular. After the disaster in Blaenau Gwent, you'd assume that Rhodri Morgan would be sensible enough to hide Blair from view. Yet in the last few weeks alone, we see Tony Blair and his wife, Cherie parading around the marginal Cardiff North Consistuency, and a desperate 'support Rhodri' speech last night from Blair at Labour's Conference in Llangollen. Both events will most likely have a negative affect on the Welsh electorate, regardless of Blair's shameless scaremongering when warning of a Tory led coalition come May the 4th when New Labour fails at the polls.

3) Rhodri Morgan has always said that he will not comment on the Iraq war as it is not a devolved issue- we all remember the Question Time debate, and Rhun ap Iorwerth's half hearted attempt at questioning him further on the issue on last night's Dragon's Eye.
Yet Rhodri Morgan has been bold enough to comment on Blair's current exit strategy from Iraq, expressing the fact that it is 'very problematic". So Rhodri can have an opinion on some elements of the war, but not others? He can comment on Welsh troops who are out there, but not on whether they should be there or not....

4) Another confused message, which could come up for debate again soon is whether or not Labour in Wales will use 'Welsh' funds for the Assembly election, or whether we will see them dip in to the pockets of London Labour.

'Welsh' Labour would then definitely only be a construct of their own imagination.