MORNING SERIAL
WE will of course be monitoring everything but it is not possible to report it all live.
As the Welsh Government press conference is usually the one most likely to create spin off stories relevant to Welsh readers, I would often watch Plenary on Senedd TV (not the busiest stream on the internet) but thirty minutes behind the live stream. This gave the opportunity to write spin-off stories from the earlier conferences and worked well. Plenary is a decent source of stories and, though never compelling enough viewing to justify live coverage of it, it is important journalists go through proceedings with a fine tooth comb as part of our duty to be the eyes and ears of the public and hold the Welsh Government to account.
Wednesday 22 however was a watershed moment in the history of Plenary as something dramatic happened. During the proceedings health secretary Vaughan Gething was routinely taking questions from Members on the handling of the crisis so far. The final question came from fellow Labour MS Jenny Rathbone who really pressed him on the lack of PPE being produced domestically and talked about care home workers who were unable to get tested because they didn’t have a car – perfectly legitimate and worthwhile lines of enquiry.
Mr Gething replied calmly enough and then turned off his camera as his part in proceedings had finished. Unfortunately for Mr Gething he simultaneously took deep exception to what Jenny Rathbone had said but had forgotten to turn his microphone off.
He was heard to say: “I tell you what, I know Jenny is regularly [inaudible] but... what the f*** is the matter with her?”.
The presiding officer desperately tried to speak over him which (much to the disappointment of social media) made the rest of his comments inaudible except for a few words. The session was then delayed while the ‘technical problems’ were ‘solved.’
The fact the comments were made on a Zoom call when all the other Members were visible meant viewers were able to get everyone’s live reaction.
> Lockdown Wales by Will Hayward £9.99 www.serenbooks.com/ productdisplay/lockdown-wales ISBN 9781781726013
CONTINUES TOMORROW