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GB News get wrong Gareth Davies and wrong parliament in Senedd reporting mishap

07 Oct 2021 3 minute read

A Gareth by any other name… Gareth Davies (left) and Gareth Davies (right).

GB News used a picture of the wrong Gareth Davies speaking in the wrong parliament when reporting the story of a Tory MS’ failure to vote against Covid passes in Wales.

The NHS Covid pass for clubs and large events will be introduced on Monday after Senedd member Gareth Davies failed to get on Zoom, allowing the Welsh Government to win by one vote.

However, GB News used a picture of Gareth Davies, MP for Grantham and Stamford, instead. He was shown speaking in the House of Commons, rather than the Senedd.

The incorrect version of the story was later deleted and replaced by the correct Gareth Davies, but not before the story had been shared on social media.

The mistake was also spotted by social media expert Owen Williams who said: “Ahh, GB News – can’t find the right Gareth Davies, type out a Member of the Senedd’s correct suffix, or even source a photograph of the actual Senedd.

“I’d laugh if it weren’t so painful.”

A Twitter user posts the GB News story featuring the incorrect Gareth Davies

Gareth Davies is yet to explain the exact nature of the technical problems that prevented him from voting, but was at the Conservative Conference in Manchester at the time.

The official conference guide shows that he was due to speak at a Young Conservatives event at 4pm that afternoon, two hours before the vote.

In a statement last night Elin Jones said she gave the member “every opportunity” to be present, including giving him her phone number to vote verbally.

“It is a member’s responsibility to give themselves sufficient time to secure their Zoom connection in time for voting, just as it is for any member travelling to the Senedd to vote,” she said.

‘Concerns’

None of the Senedd groups, including the Conservatives, have so far asked for the vote to be re run.

Health Minister Eluned Morgan has since said that the vote will not be re-run, saying that re-running votes is not “how democratic processes work”.

“You don’t keep on having a vote until you get the answer that you want,” she told the BBC.

“Actually this is a system that’s been in place for about four months already. People have been using it throughout the summer.

“What we know is that the people of Wales want to be protected.

“We had a huge mandate as a result of the election because of our cautious approach”.

In a statement, Mr Davies said he was “angry” he had been unable to access the Senedd’s remote voting system.

“I’m deeply upset, frustrated and angry at last night’s events and my inability to cast a vote against vaccine passports,” he said.

“Yesterday evening, IT challenges meant that I was unable to access the voting system.

“Throughout the voting period, I was speaking with the chief whip and Welsh Conservative staff members in an attempt to solve the IT issues.

“The Senate currently operates under a hybrid system that means only half of our representatives can vote in the chamber, with others voting remotely from elsewhere.

“I was working and representing the group at the Conservative Party conference and I would have been able to vote remotely if I had been able to access the remote voting tools.

“Concerns have been raised with the Senedd’s ICT department.”

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