MORNING SERIAL
IF Boris Johnson had done that he would have been absolutely slaughtered in the media. The First Minister had obviously just misspoke and thought he was being clear. Everyone makes mistakes, we know that. But in running for public office, politicians are accepting that they can and should be held to a higher standard – especially as leader. Mistakes cost lives and Mr Drakeford had made one. I therefore put together an opinion piece that same evening called ‘Wales’ First Minister has made a massive mistake’ which was one of our most read stories for the next two months. A part of me hoped this wouldn’t make Drakeford less inclined to be as forthcoming with answers in press conferences as he does seem genuinely to try to give insight into policy-making and endeavour to help people understand the reason behind decisions. As I wrote at the time, of course he is a politician, and should come served with a dollop of critical thinking and anti-spin, but at least you usually left briefings with him feeling more informed than when you entered. The piece didn’t change his style in press conferences, though in Plenary two days later he was challenged by opposition party leaders on the mistake and attempted to dismiss it as stirred up by people “willing to cause mischief ”.
It was also not a good start to the week for the Health Minister Vaughan Gething after a picture appeared of him in the Sun sitting on a bench in Cardiff Bay eating chips with his wife and five-year-old son. Critics immediately jumped on this as picnics had been explicitly forbidden under Welsh Government guidance that warned against using exercises as an excuse to undertake other activity like picnicking or spending a prolonged period on a park bench. Pre-empting the publication of the story Mr Gething tweeted: “Really disappointing that @TheSun are planning to print a photo of me on a walk with my wife and young son on the weekend. Our 5 year-old was hungry and we bought some chips – all within the rules.”