A warning from history.
In an attempt to gag Cambria Politico, one of the fiercest critics of the Labour Party in Wales, agents for Labour leadership contender Huw Lewis launched a barrage of intimidatory threats resulting from an article on this blog which hit their boss a little too hard for comfort. With precious little investigative political journalism in Wales as it is, and the consequent yawning democratic deficit, Labour’s thugs are determined to hound journalists who criticise their bosses even in a quite obviously satirical and tongue-in-cheek way.
Such naked intimidation on the part of the Huw Lewis camp does his campaign no credit whatsoever. If this is a foretaste of what we might expect from a Labour administration led by Lewis it bodes very ill for Welsh democracy indeed. But this is Labour showing its true colours and they are ugly ones. Be warned.
For the record, here is the full text of an email (sent erroneously to the editor of Cambria Magazine) from one of Lewis’s henchmen and forwarded to Cambria Politico:
Dear Editor
Further to my phone message this afternoon and my conversation with Clive Betts, I’m writing to inform you that I am making a formal complaint to the Press Complaints Commission regarding defamation in the above piece and in regards to how the article relates to the following sections of the PCC Code.
1. (i) The Press must take care not to publish inaccurate, misleading or distorted information, including pictures.
4. (i) Journalists must not engage in intimidation, harassment or persistent pursuit.
12. Discrimination (i) The press must avoid prejudicial or pejorative reference to an individual’s race, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation or to any physical or mental illness or disability.
Leaving the entirely puerile tone to one side, there is a clear implication running through the piece that Labour AM, Huw Lewis, suffers from a mental health problem. This is an extraordinarily serious allegation made in a totally unacceptable and staggeringly crass fashion.
I would like to know what your publication guidelines are for Cambria Magazine and the accompanying blog, which is registered to the magazine.
Where does editorial control lie?
I am also reporting this matter to Claire Clancy, the Head of the Assembly Commission in order that she may review ongoing concerns in relation to the conduct of Cambria Magazine in relation to Members of the National Assembly for Wales, with particular regard to article 4 of the PCC code.
I am also asking for legal advice in relation to taking the matter forward relating to the specific blog post.
For your information, Clive Betts today denied to me directly that he wrote this piece and is therefore not responsible for its content. I have to accept his word on that matter.
Mr Betts also denied knowing who did write the piece and who was responsible for the publication of the blog. A statement which I believe to be untrue. I look forward to your clarification on who the blog author is.
Whilst these matters are being taken forward, I would like this blog post removed immediately.
Yours sincerely,
Matt Greenough
Office of Huw Lewis AM & Lynne Neagle AM
matt.greenough@wales.gov.uk
Tel: 029 2089 8752
Fax: 029 2089 8387
National Assembly for Wales
Cardiff Bay CF99 1NA
While Cambria Politico takes legal advice on this issue the post has been ‘unpublished’. Watch this space.
Cambria Politico will not be silenced but will continue to speak for, and fight for, the people of Wales and continue to expose cant, humbug, corruption, bullying and intimidation wherever it is found.
Betts puts his name on each piece he writes doesn’t he? It should be very clear if he wrote it or not, and it is clear that he didn’t write it.
The other contributors use pseudonyms, and there appear to be quite a few. I’m a regular reader of this blog, and I have lost count of how many other contributors there are, and their postings are irregular and appear to take a very ‘anti labour’ stance. It is probably true that Betts actually doesn’t know who wrote the piece.
Having a ‘go’ at Clive Betts may be barking up the completely wrong tree in this instance.
I honestly believe a distinguished journalist like Clive Betts would include his by-line in anything he wrote. The assertion is, on its face, ludicrous. What is of more concern are the seeming heavy-handed intimidation tactics implied in this letter.
I received a telephone call from a concerned party in the leadership election race after posting a comment on your “we’ve been gagged” post. I promised the person on the call the conversation would remain off-the-record.
It is odd someone involved in such a public high-stakes candidacy would allow anyone on their team to employ such overt intimidation tactics around a party leadership race.(I must also clearly state that no threats were made against me, my publication nor was I ever made to feel in any way intimidated. This is merely an 11th hour election observation.)
I would though offer two bits of unsolicited advice that have served me well, 1. when in a hole, stop digging and 2. follow the wisdom of former US Congressman Jack Buechner of the Missouri 2nd District who once wisely advised: “never pick a fight with someone who buys ink (now bandwidth) by the barrel.”
As we see played out nightly in Sarah Palin’s interviews about her book “Going Rogue”, when she picks on telly sketch comedian Tina Fey’s impersonation of her, that can only mean ones thing, for certain there will be a new sketch forthcoming to further embarrass. In her case she does not seem to mind as long as you buy her book and remember her name.
I think the Labour candidates in this race seek something different.
All best.
Screwloose has obviously lost the plot if he allows his thugs to threaten free speech as openly as this. They’ve certainly bitten off more than they can chew. I doubt whether Cambriapolitico will take this lying down. Mr Campbell’s quote from Jack Buechner is spot on. Await the s***storm Huwie baby! What a prat.
The “True Blue Socialists” recourse to “my learned friends” has brought back memories of the old radio programme, “The Navy Lark”, where Able Seaman Goldstein (I think) had a relative who was “the best sewer in the valleys”!
GJ
[...] nor told to “follow the money” it was a trifle un-nerving to think this race could create a threat against Cambria Magazine and its editorial team. (Disclosure: I have contributed to their magazine as well as The Western [...]
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