Friday 27 March 2009

It's debate, but not as we know it

Plenty of other people have already commented about the Labour Party's new website launched today. The video gave me a good laugh, and had the same effect for many other Pleidwyr (or should that now be Plaidis?); although probably not for the reasons intended by its authors.

We shouldn't be too unkind on them though; after all it has been very solemnly endorsed by two very serious politicians, although I found it a little hard to believe that they'd actually read the product that they were endorsing. Somehow, the words they use don't quite chime with the content.

Same goes for the press story in today's Western Mail. The promise made by Alun Davies about a "positive and constructive debate" didn't seem to me to bear much relation to the reality of the website. Has he read it either, I wondered?

I suppose I should be flattered to attract a mention on their first day in action; it's a pity though that a site which starts off by saying "So it should be no surprise that the quality of journalism has suffered and coverage of politics has followed in a similarly depressing way" should immediately fall into the trap of regurgitating a half truth. I suppose their concern only applies to reporting of the Labour Party.

What was saddest of all for me is that I had previously thought that Eluned Morgan, Peter Hain, and Alun Davies were, although highly partisan in their approach, serious politicians, able to think about issues and debate them. Still, if this is what the 'brightest and best' of the Labour Party can come up with, I give it an unqualified welcome.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Plaid = www.WalesCan.com = grownups

Labour = this dross = spiteful children

... and Labour have the gall to say Wales would be worse off under Plaid. And, what, they're still on about Margaret Thatcher.

We're witnessing the slow death of Labour in Wales. Bereft of ideas. Bereft of ideoligy. Just spite, class jingoism and tribalism left.

Anonymous said...

Peter Hain said it was Welsh Labour's 'Obama moment'. I think he meant 'Dubya Bush moment', so obviously he's forgotten the order of the presidents. But we shouldn't be too hard on poor old Peter - he obviously has trouble remembering things, like when he forgot about £100,000-worth of donations to his deputy leadership campaign. Poor guy.

Progressive Comment said...

How did an MP who honourably fought in the front line against apartheid become such a bungler.

Unknown said...

For the Labour Party there is no redemption. The public cannot and will not forgive their transgressions.
They are totally discredited in the eyes of any savvy commentator.
Plaid stands to reap a windfall of votes in Wales at the General Election of 2010. Fact, not opinion.