Reform MS vows to end GB News ban in Senedd
Emily Price
A Reform UK Senedd Member has vowed to “sort out” the ban on GB News in Wales’ Parliament.
Cai Parry-Jones’ pledge to reinstate the right-wing channel to the Senedd’s internal tv network came after he raised concerns about the selection of newspapers on offer in the Members area.
Sharing a photo to social media of the Financial Times, the Guardian, the Morning Star, the Daily Telegraph and the South Wales Echo spread out on a table, the Caerdydd Ffynnon Taf MS said one of the five newspapers, “was founded by the Communist Party”.
“A signal of why economic growth in Wales has been so abysmal for the last 27 years?” he added.
The Morning Star was originally founded as the Daily Worker in 1930 by the Communist Party of Great Britain, but it now operates independently.
The newspapers’ Welsh reporter David Nicholson responded to Mr Parry-Jones arguing the Morning Star is “the only paper from outside Wales which employs a Wales-based reporter”.
He said: “Look at the FT, Guardian and others and see if they cover the Senedd and other stories.
“I’ll be in the Senedd next Tuesday to report on FMQs. If you want to discuss this meet me in the staff canteen.”
Mr Parry-Jones did not respond to the invitation.
Complaints
In the comments section of the MS’s original post, one of his followers asked: “Are they getting GB News yet or is that still banned?”
Mr Parry-Jones responded: “It’s still banned! Working on sorting that out at the moment.”
The Senedd’s former Presiding Officer, or Llywydd, Elin Jones of Plaid Cymru, removed GB News from the Senedd’s internal television network in October 2023.
The channel often screens programmes in which right wing interviewers nod in agreement with the right-wing commentators they are interviewing and has been subject to several Ofcom investigations.
The Llywydd’s GB News ban came amid an influx of complaints after actor-turned-right-wing activist Laurence Fox was sacked over comments he made live on air about a female journalist.
‘Offensive’
Speaking about PoliticsJOE reporter Ava Evans, Fox had asked what “self-respecting man” would “climb into bed” with her.
He said: “We need powerful strong, amazing women who make great points for themselves. Who’d want to shag that?”
Elin Jones branded the comments “deliberately offensive”, “demeaning to public debate” and “contrary to our Parliament’s values”.
Reform’s leader Nigel Farage later hosted a special live episode of Farage at Large in Cardiff Bay to discuss the Llywydd’s decision which he condemned as “totalitarian”.
Most Senedd Members have televisions in their offices to watch committee meetings and plenary sessions.
A small selection of impartial news channels is also available for major events such as budgets, election results and other significant breaking news stories.
Referee
GB News and all other channels are still available on the Senedd’s ICT system – meaning an MS can watch any show on a Senedd computer if they choose to.
Ms Jones stepped down from her role as Llywydd at the start of the new Senedd term following the May 7 election.
Members have since appointed Labour’s Huw Irranca-Davies to be the Welsh Parliament’s official referee.
The appointment was backed by a large majority of Reform MSs, despite a competing bid for the Presiding Officer role from right-winger Paul Davies.
As a left-wing politician, it’s considered unlikely that Mr Irranca-Davies would row back on Jones’ decision to remove GB News from the Senedd’s television network.
We asked a Senedd spokesperson if the new Llywydd was considering reinstating the channel. They said they had no comment at this time.
Nation.Cymru asked Mr Parry-Jones how he planned to overturn the ban.
We also asked why his party had elected another left-wing Llywydd.
Mr Parry-Jones did not respond.
His complaint about the Senedd’s newspaper availability and GB News follows several other concerns about his new role, including that he was issued two laptops and a phone, that he does not believe the Ukrainian flag should be flown, and that the Senedd’s toilet hand dryers carry a warning sticker for autistic people.
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.
Good to see this fool is tuned into all the big issues that concern Welsh voters. Hopefully it won’t be long until he’s selling the Big Issue rather than stealing taxpayers money.
The lack of global news channels is a bigger concern. CNN, France24, DW, CNA, Euronews, NHK. Perhaps he might add RT?
He should go all the way and demand Fox News and Press TV for an alternative view point to FN
That clown is trying to make a name for himself for all the wrong causes. I will be surprised if he lasts the full term
Lembo o’r raddfa uchaf.
Attention seeker.
Oes modd dechrau deiseb i gael gwared o’r plentyn hwn.
Mae e hyd yn oed yn embaras i Reform (sy’n dipyn o ddweud!).
Not this blydi dope again, it’s obvious now that he’s not serious about politics & most certainly not interested in the welfare of Cymru & her people. He’s working so hard at becoming the disruptive clown of the Senedd that as stated elsewhere he’ll be lucky to last the first term. A Cambridge education gone completely to waste it seems.
Keep up the good work Cai. Sorry to see that you’ve omitted the Beano and the Dandy from your important campaign.
Word of the day today, “Priorities”.
That made me laugh maybe he can also insist on The Cbeebies Channel
This guy doesn’t even know the starting point. Instead of crowing on about GeeBeebies, where he goes to get his bottle of formula and nappy changed, he must apologise to the Welsh public for misleading them over the lies he told about the cost of and amount of laptops issued. We will wait forever for that but WE WILL wait which means nothing he says subsequently will be entertained until he returns to the starting point.
Bellend.