It was interesting to read Nick Bourne's thoughts on "important discussions being carried out behind closed doors" with respect to the Assembly budget.
Independent budget review needed says Welsh Tory leader
Can he really be so unaware that his own party in Westminster most certainly did not carry out its recent spending review in a transparent way? And, if we are to believe the allegation Glyn Davies made recently in his blog with regard to S4C that:
Previous discussions at private meetings between the Culture Secretary and Plaid Cymru seemed to have become public within minutes.
... it should be obvious to everybody that the Tories are very anxious to ensure that any discussions they have are held behind closed doors. It's yet another example of double standards.
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But let's give Nick Bourne the benefit of the doubt. If he really does believe that:
"Scrutiny and debate are essential to an open and transparent assembly government. This simply isn't happening at the moment and the culture of secrecy has got to stop."
And that Wales needed:
"independent budget projections and recommendations"
... then I hope he will press for exactly the same independent budget projections and recommendations in regard to his own government's decision about S4C. After having made himself so clear in one case, it would be hypocrisy for the Tories not to do it in the other.
If Tories in Wales want to make good on their claim to support Welsh language broadcasting, let's see them stand up and call for an open, transparent and independent review of the decision they've just made about S4C.
2 comments:
Conservative hypocrisy in Wales surely not, maybe they learnt it from Labour.
if you didn't know better you'd think Nick Bourne was trying to make himself relevant again with this sudden flurry of activity seen as he's been overshadowed and undermined at every opportunity by Cheryl Gillan since the General Election.
The correct response to Glyn uncharacteristically disingenuous post is surely this: so what was the excuse for not informing Cheryl Gillian of what was going on then? Because it's true isn't it Glyn, she was kept completely out of the loop too?
And by the way Glyn, am I right in thinking that by the time the cuts are completed, S4C annual budget will be down to 60 million? Fair shares, eh?
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