Support our Nation today - please donate here
News

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.”

 


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
10 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Erisian
Erisian
3 years ago

Anglocentric, unpleasantly right wing AND dumb as an ox. QED

Philip Jones
Philip Jones
3 years ago

One day soon the truth will come out

Y Cymro
Y Cymro
3 years ago

Ah, yes. GB News. The square peg in a round hole news outlet. 🥴🇬🇧

Marc
Marc
3 years ago

The Truth is out there, but unfortunately you won’t find it on GB news!

Observer
Observer
3 years ago
Reply to  Marc

You’ll certainly not get it from the BBC, ITV or S4C either!

j humphrys
j humphrys
3 years ago

Great Balls News.

Mark
Mark
3 years ago

if you think GBN is a bad, you wait until Murdoch’s news channel starts up, it’s going to be fronted by that misogynistic racist Piers Morgan.

Steve Duggan
Steve Duggan
3 years ago

GB news is similar to Brexit – a complete shambles.

Crwtyn Cemais
Crwtyn Cemais
3 years ago

Gammon Brexit News strikes again…

Graham Price
Graham Price
3 years ago

I know what Davies was doing…dirty so and so.

Our Supporters

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