Support our Nation today - please donate here
News

Drakeford on the moon? Social media users poke fun at bogus claim First Minister snuck to Bristol for the new year

01 Jan 2022 3 minute read
Mark Drakeford on the moon? Picture by Owen Williams / @owswills

Social media users have been poking fun at bogus online claims that Mark Drakeford snuck to Bristol to celebrate New Year’s eve.

After reports in the media that some from Wales would travel to England due to the lower Covid restrictions, a rumour was started online that the First Minister would be among them.

An individual posted a message on Facebook on Friday saying they had seen the First Minister at the Hilton Garden Inn, in Bristol city centre, saying: “Dropping off here and guess who’s checking in – none other than Mark Drakeford and his wife having a night on the pop over the border.”

It was later shared by many on Twitter, including unsuccessful Abolish the Assembly candidate Richard Taylor.

The Welsh Government confirmed that the claim had been made up, saying that: “There is no truth in this whatsoever. The First Minister is in Wales.”

But the episode prompted mirth on social media, with others taking to Twitter to parody the claim that Mark Drakeford had escaped Wales for the New Year.

Social media guru Owen Williams posted a thread of Mark Drakeford in various locations, from the streets of New York to the Taj Mahal to the moon.

“Disinformation is false information deliberately and often covertly spread (as by the planting of rumours) in order to influence public opinion or obscure the truth,” he said.

“Don’t fall for it. Verify the content you share with reputable news sources. Don’t retweet grifters.”


Support our Nation today

For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

8 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Grayham Jones
2 years ago

People in wales have got to stop reading English newspapers and stop watching English news stop being little Englanders and and be proud to be welsh kick all English party’s out of wales 🏴󠁧󠁒󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 it’s time for a new wales 🏴󠁧󠁒󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Dewi Williams
Dewi Williams
2 years ago

All that these mindless idiots are achieving is to, incontrovertibly, confirm we have the right man in charge. The wider Welsh public hardly deserve this decent,honest man after letting him down by voting for an English Brexit. Let’s hope they will not so readily fall again for the English driven misinformation and outright lies that beguile them.

Jack
Jack
2 years ago

Whilst these mock takes are quite funny, I think we should be careful in giving obvious nonsense stories like this too much discussion.

The Welsh NHS is facing probably the toughest month in its history, but we’re busy talking about Mark Drakeford’s imaginary Bristol trip.

Let’s not take our eye off the ball here.

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
2 years ago
Reply to  Jack

I agree. Where these mock posts are themselves making a mockery of the original claims about Drakeford, less we forget the same mindset spread both disinformation & misinformation and fuel also hatred of ethic minorites and engineer conspiracy theories to further their twisted political agenda.

Last edited 2 years ago by Y Cymro
Y Cymro
Y Cymro
2 years ago

More disinformation & falsehoods from the scourge that is social media. Anyone with an ounce of intelligence & common sense will take these claims for what they really are. πŸ™„

Steve Duggan
Steve Duggan
2 years ago

I am not a Labour voter but too many people are all rather cocky and superior acting at the moment – even though scientists are predicting Covid is going to hit the roof over the next couple of months. I reckon all these jokes will disappear very very quickly once it does.

Dafydd
Dafydd
2 years ago

The BBC’s HYS;s on any Welsh matter are probably awash with bile right now? Ive had a a number of totally reasonable comments removed from that site and am beggining to wonder whetehr or not the moderators are on the side of some of the cych posting there?

Brian Coman
Brian Coman
2 years ago

Drakeford is banned from every pub in Wales,maybe he went to see his mate Jeremy Corbyn to get some Momentum!, many people are fed up with his doom and gloom, and no light at the end of the tunnel . In fact there isn’t even a tunnel yet

Our Supporters

All information provided to Nation.Cymru will be handled sensitively and within the boundaries of the Data Protection Act 2018.