The posting immediately below this one, dated 22nd February 2010, is a press statement from Ian Swales Prospective Lib Dem MP for Redcar calling for the Corus site to be nationalised.
The press statement was ignored by the Evening Gazette who today publish a front page lead reporting that Stockton Labour MP Dari Taylor has called for the Corus site to be nationalised. Ian's press statement points out that a letter was emailed to Peter Mandelson.
On 18th December this blog reported that Ian Swales had produced a detailed plan outlining a positive future for Corus, which was also ignored by the Gazette until early in the new year. This plan was also emailed to Peter Mandelson.
Are local MP's being passed on these ideas by Mandelson's office?
Why is it that the Evening Gazette concentrates only on the platitudes of local Labour MP's and ignores the positive ideas being put forward FIRST by Ian Swales?
4 comments:
Dear Chris and Glynis, As you rightly state I reported on the plan submitted by Ian Swales to Government as soon as it was brought to my attention early in the New Year. A number of people have talked of nationalisation over the past nine months. What makes this call significant is that it has come not just from a sitting Labour MP, but the one leading a parliamentary committee of inquiry into Corus' and the Government's handling of the crisis. That's what made it front page news. I hardly think that calling for nationalisation is a "Labour platitude". I'm sure it made Lord Mandelson choke on his cornflakes. Sue Scott, Business Editor, Evening Gazette
Come off it Sue, simple fairness would indicate that you should have mentioned other people who had raised the issue before Dari Taylor.
The Gazette has ceased all pretence of balance since Labour regained control of Redcar and Cleveland. Prior to that you also balanced articles with a comment from the opposition.
So the Gazette's key criterion is to take more notice of an MP who will not be here after May than to a realistic solution to the problems first raised by someone who is far more likely to be an MP after May
When started my number10 petition last year, the Gazette were first to make a positive report on it. I do feel that a majority of Ian's plan has been used further without the deserved recogition.
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