He says, I’m a little disappointed that some people who have left comments here have chosen to play politics with these people’s livelihoods.

I apologise if I have disappointed him and caused him offence but I have not been playing politics with peoples livelihoods.

I am not a member of any Political Party, I just have personal views and, sad as I am, I take an interest in Politics.

I am just an ordinary person who has been a carer to my wife for over 30 years and was forced to give up work and livelihood 12 years ago through my own ill health.

I do make comments sometimes on what I perceive, rightly or wrongly, to be ill-conceived , sensational, or totally one sided comments that are only putting one side of an argument. such as newspapers and politicians, as they are in a position to influence peoples thoughts and deeds.

If as an ordinary person with views of my own and I am perceived to be playing politics, then I plead guilty.

But please Mr Nichols do not accuse me of playing politics, when the Media are the worse culprits at that game. Which is why I believe the general public have such a low opinion of Journalists.

Not my view, I might add.

I also hope it didn’t appear to anyone that I was indulging in morbid self-pity by bringing up the jobs issue – again, I’m not.

As someone who is single, with no mortgage and no kids, I’m relatively recession-proof. But my colleagues locally, and many of the 11 others who are under threat of redundancy in Cardiff, are unfortunately not so lucky. I’m a little disappointed that some people who have left comments here have chosen to play politics with these people’s livlihoods.

I can’t really comment any further on the closure of the Guardian (in a public forum, at least), since I’ve been asked not to by managers at Media Wales (as have all staff) – and I suspect disobeying this would impact on my future employment with the company or (if it comes to that) my redundancy payment.

The Llywydd has considered your request to ask the following urgent question in Plenary:

Will the Minister make a statement on the impact of the closure of the Neath and Port Talbot Guardian newspapers on tne coverage of local news in Wales

The Llywydd has decided not to allow the Urgent Question.

Regards

I will ask a business question instead.

1925???

I would hope she would instead have concern for the three of her constituents (myself included) who are now facing the prospect of redundancy, and who don’t seem to get much of a look-in in this blog post.

As I am sure she has concern for the many many others within her constituancy who have or will be losing their jobs.

Also the pensioners who will be looking to a hard Winter with increasing utility bills and food prices.
The elderly and disabled who are facing the future with the plans this Labour Government have of taking their Attendance Allowances and Disability Living Allowances (care) away from them and handing it over to Local Authorities to distribute. For those Authorities to judge on where they think it is necessary.
We know their track record on things like that.
Therefore as much of a blow it is to the three affected, it is not Bethan Jenkins’s fault the Neath and Port Talbot sections of Media Wales are closing.
The blame lies with the owners of Media Wales who it seems are trying to get as far away from wales as possible. They don’t seem to have much concern for you.

I can only say what I was informed by my press officer with regards to the stories on Peter Hain. I still believe that it should have been a front page story given the importance of it regardless of why this decision was made.

I have had many positive stories in the Neath Guardian also, and I thank the journalists for their work.

I should know – I wrote the story, which appeared as a two-page spread. We also gave prominent coverage to Peter’s resignation from the cabinet.

What is true is that we did not use either story as a front page lead – and the fact that both stories had already been covered by the nationals would have been a major point considered when making that decision. I think those decisions were correct – and the result of solid news judgement, rather than any supposed inbuilt Labour bias.

I don’t make a habit of commenting on the local blogs, but I feel I have to knock this misinformation, and any accusations of bias (on my part, at least), on the head. I can’t comment on my former colleagues, though I can say that none of them ever displayed any overt sympathies one way or the other.

During my time at the Guardian I was accused of being biased in favour of both Labour and Plaid – usually by supporters of one in an area where the other had done well. I have even been accused of taking “kickbacks” from both parties. I haven’t, obviously – if only local newspapers were still that influential!

As for Bethan being “pleased” (as Roger urges above) I would hope she would instead have concern for the three of her constituents (myself included) who are now facing the prospect of redundancy, and who don’t seem to get much of a look-in in this blog post.

One final word on the accusation that the Guardian “has always been biased in favour of the Labour Party”. I saw the first-ever edition of the paper, from 1925, today. It carried a lengthy front-page op-ed piece urging readers to vote for………… The Ratepayers!

I stopped buying it for that reason and the Western Mail because of the latters irelevance to Wales.

The sooner we get a daily publication and a media which has relevance to what goes on in Wales the better.

But what this sad development also shows is the pressing need for media in wales….whether newspapers, television, the internet et al…to be wholly owned and controlled in wales!!!

Trinity mirror resides at canary wharf in london………….the south wales evening post is published by northcliffe who are owned by the london based rothermere’s………….swansea sound is owned by the ulster television group…..!!!

You have to wonder in what other nation in the world would a situation be tolerated in which almost all its media outlets are neither owned nor controlled by that country? But this is precisley the desperate situation that exists in wales!

Naturally this does have poltical consequences as it is a given that a media that is neither owned nor controlled by the welsh is never going to give a fair crack to the arguments for an independent wales for example……and is at best lukewarm – or on occassions downright hostile – to the case for more powers for the national assembly.