Plaid fury as Wood is axed from Question Time
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Plaid Cymru are enraged tonight after learning that Leanne Wood AM will not be appearing on the BBC's Question Time programme as planned. The programme makers contacted Ms Wood just hours before recording was due to start in Newport to inform her that she would no longer be required.
Despite this, Ms Wood was advertised as a guest on the Question Time website throughout the week. The page has now been changed to reflect the new line-up. In a sensational political reversal, it appears that left-leaning Leanne's replacement is the fiercely conservative columnist, Peter Hitchens.
This is also a serious snub to devolved politics in Wales. When the programme came from Edinburgh recently, two of the five candidates were Members of the Scottish Parliament and a further two were candidates in the forthcoming Scottish elections. In Newport, this evening, the Welsh assembly will have no representatives whatsoever.
Poor Leanne will just have to watch the programme on television, perhaps frantically texting the technophobic David Dimbleby just to get her views across. It could all have been very different, and Plaid will now be considering whether to make a formal complaint.
Leanne Wood's name is erased from the Question Time line-up.
Labels: BBC, David Dimbleby, Leanne Wood, Question Time
posted by Blamerbell @ 6:14 pm,
15 Comments:
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At 7:46 pm,
said...
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The original line-up included Rhodri Morgan but he pulled out...
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At 7:51 pm,
Blamerbell said...
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"The original line-up included Rhodri Morgan but he pulled out..."
Says who? -
At 8:28 pm,
said...
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It is in Newport, Gwent I think you mean...? You havn't really given us your viewpoint on the dropping of Wood from the line-up...! What do you think Blamerbell?
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At 9:21 pm,
Marcusian said...
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I think they should have an assembly 'special', i assume they will, i see Leanne's point most definitely...
Its a close one but i think i would prefer listening to Leanne Wood then bloody Peter Hitchens... -
At 9:32 pm,
Blamerbell said...
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"You havn't really given us your viewpoint on the dropping of Wood from the line-up...! What do you think Blamerbell?"
I think assembly politics is under-represented in the UK media in general.
I made this point to the editor of the Guardian recently. He said there was no money and then went off on an answer about Scotland. Just about sums it up.
Welsh politicians don't always help themselves, but it's an uphill struggle when they're being written out of the media most people consume. -
At 10:18 pm,
said...
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blamerbell,
Well why didn't you say something like that in the first place instead of making it out as just something Plaid is upset about? It should concern us all. -
At 10:28 pm,
said...
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so your sister's writing your copy now? From Bethan Jenkins's blog:
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!
...................................................................................................................................................................
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. -
At 10:38 pm,
Blamerbell said...
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"Well why didn't you say something like that in the first place instead of making it out as just something Plaid is upset about? It should concern us all."
Because Leanne Wood is the subject of this particular story. She was in, she was booked, she was keen, she was axed.
You're right, it is something that concerns us all, which is why this paragraph was in the original post:
"This is also a serious snub to devolved politics in Wales. When the programme came from Edinburgh recently, two of the five candidates were Members of the Scottish Parliament and a further two were candidates in the forthcoming Scottish elections. In Newport, this evening, the Welsh assembly will have no representatives whatsoever." -
At 10:59 pm,
bethan said...
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For info, because we blog on the same issue doesn't mean that we have the same opinion or that it is in any way connected.
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At 11:16 pm,
Huw Thomas said...
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Well I'm bloody pissed off that Julian Fellowes was axed too. I bet that's not in tomorrows Western Mail. Bastards.
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At 8:44 am,
said...
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Says who?
Says me!
Check with the Labour Party press office if you don't believe me. -
At 10:58 am,
Blamerbell said...
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"Anonymous said...
Says who?
Says me!"
Mr Anonymous from Anonymous Lane, Anonymousville?
Come on out, we're all very friendly:) -
At 12:35 am,
said...
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Blamerbell,
Serious question.....are you related to Bethan Jenkins? -
At 7:31 pm,
hafod said...
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Anonymous has got his finger on the pulse, ain't he?
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At 12:02 am,
Blamerbell said...
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"Anonymous has got his finger on the pulse, ain't he?"
If the pulse is a twelve day old lentil, then yes...
