Barlow Posted November 19, 2020 Share Posted November 19, 2020 48 minutes ago, jaymann said: Just out of interest, why are we still doing the briefings on Zoom? One thing I know and have seen about the Health Minister if that he is far more uncomfortable in situations in a personal setting. Zoom and this current format hes far better off at deflecting. Yep, the press briefings need to be back to normal routine. I'm surprised no one has asked that. They can all sit round a table in Paul Moultons pad (this Saturday Mr Ashford is one of the guests) so why not Government offices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apple Posted November 19, 2020 Share Posted November 19, 2020 My support for DA has been seriously eroded by this episode. Given the statements he has made and the information he has released in Tynwald and HoK is not in my view not consistent with keeping with the public engagement and the transparency he advocates. His record now whilst in the role of DHSC Minister raises questions now about his judgements and decision making. The CM today interrupted him several times either to make or reinforce comments that sometimes didn't merit his intervention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kopek Posted November 19, 2020 Share Posted November 19, 2020 There seems to have been some redaction on MR? The Moulton interview will not 'play' and the link to the reading out has disappeared? I seem to remember that, at the reading out, Ashford ze la Douche, said that he had sought permission to read it out??? So he must have had a name to contact? If an employee of the DHSC writes to the Minister of that Dept and the Minister reads it out, then it no longer a ''Private'' letter, it is political property and should be kept for posterity or 21 years as appropriate??? The only saving grace for David may come in the campaigning next year when he is not beholden to Howard, he may reveal the truth??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gladys Posted November 19, 2020 Share Posted November 19, 2020 13 minutes ago, Kopek said: There seems to have been some redaction on MR? The Moulton interview will not 'play' and the link to the reading out has disappeared? I seem to remember that, at the reading out, Ashford ze la Douche, said that he had sought permission to read it out??? So he must have had a name to contact? If an employee of the DHSC writes to the Minister of that Dept and the Minister reads it out, then it no longer a ''Private'' letter, it is political property and should be kept for posterity or 21 years as appropriate??? The only saving grace for David may come in the campaigning next year when he is not beholden to Howard, he may reveal the truth??? There is no doubt it was not an anonymous letter, he said that at the briefing he read it out. It is lazy journalism. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ham_N_Eggs Posted November 19, 2020 Share Posted November 19, 2020 16 minutes ago, Barlow said: Yep, the press briefings need to be back to normal routine. I'm surprised no one has asked that. They can all sit round a table in Paul Moultons pad (this Saturday Mr Ashford is one of the guests) so why not Government offices. Chris Robertshaw did in Tynwald and he also asked why the press are limited to two questions only. All Howard Quayle did was waffle about how the room isn't big enough. Listen to it here from 3min 50secs for the full rant, 8min 20secs for the media bit and 31min 10secs for Quayle's excuses. Love him or hate him Robertshaw is on the money with this little rant about the Governments approach to the crisis at the moment. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinkydevil Posted November 19, 2020 Share Posted November 19, 2020 What rates bill? David Ashford MBE said to me that as I am Data Controller I should destroy all of my post as soon as possible to stay with GDPR rules. (I've told my 3 year old daughter it's no good crying about the birthday card in the shredder bin. It's the privacy of the sender that is important in all of this. She needs to grow up.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinkydevil Posted November 19, 2020 Share Posted November 19, 2020 17 minutes ago, Gladys said: There is no doubt it was not an anonymous letter, he said that at the briefing he read it out. It is lazy journalism. We know it wasn't anonymous, so I find it really hard to believe that a DHSC team member of the lab felt so upset by the media reports that they went home wrote a letter, printed it out, put it in an envelope, went to get a postage stamp, off to the post box and it is conveniently perfectly timed for a press conference. You're a member of DHSC, so you'd just fire an email to the Minister of the DHSC. That's it, an email. It's just bullshit. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quilp Posted November 19, 2020 Share Posted November 19, 2020 To be fair it could've been sent via the government internal post. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the stinking enigma Posted November 19, 2020 Share Posted November 19, 2020 Good point. By tomorrow it will have been 1 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the stinking enigma Posted November 19, 2020 Share Posted November 19, 2020 Some government script writer will be tearing his hair out right now. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinkydevil Posted November 19, 2020 Share Posted November 19, 2020 David Ashford's home office setup: 2 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoTailT Posted November 19, 2020 Share Posted November 19, 2020 15 minutes ago, slinkydevil said: We know it wasn't anonymous, so I find it really hard to believe that a DHSC team member of the lab felt so upset by the media reports that they went home wrote a letter, printed it out, put it in an envelope, went to get a postage stamp, off to the post box and it is conveniently perfectly timed for a press conference. You're a member of DHSC, so you'd just fire an email to the Minister of the DHSC. That's it, an email. It's just bullshit. If an employee of DHSC sent it to the Minister of said department, it’s a HR matter. A grievance. I use the word IF loosely. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenFairfax Posted November 19, 2020 Share Posted November 19, 2020 The UK has no constitutional guarantee of press freedom, but we have a long tradition of free questioning press. I was quite taken back when CM said to Paul@IoMTV, "Could you not interrupt when a minister is answering. That is a basic rule". Who's rule is that? Despots like such rules, but it is not a rule either in keeping with our tradition, law or constitution. An attempt to quell an enquire of the established, respected and balanced local journalist; with a vieled threat of being black balled with limited access to Government is concerning. The CM went in a similar vein and said in 34 min outlined fact: 'Manx Radio, 3fm, and Manx newspaper all received money from Government'. Reading between lines he was just cracking the whip and saying 'hey guys you either step in line or you will face financial consequences'. CM added to query on use of PR agency by Government where he equated press with Government PR agency. To which journalist came back with: "The difference is we are not doing your PR", CM added "You are getting paid to publish information from us, what is the difference". Journalist reply, "We are a news organisation and not doing your PR, that is the difference". I cringed when I heard this! Not as much as abuse of press in #lettergate but close. Power corrupts as illustrated in 1971 Stanford Prison Experiement, and we (the people) need a press empowered to find and bring to light the governments failing's. If the press is weak, it cannot be independent, and the duopoly between the press and state holds up democracy. Journalists are our voice and should remain servants of the people, in an exchange of views and ideas, and check the power of the state. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barlow Posted November 19, 2020 Share Posted November 19, 2020 (edited) 36 minutes ago, the stinking enigma said: Some government script writer will be tearing his hair out right now. Well they have all those spin doctors, this must have been given the thumbs up and/or orchestrated by them Edited November 19, 2020 by Barlow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachomics Posted November 19, 2020 Share Posted November 19, 2020 (edited) 28 minutes ago, slinkydevil said: We know it wasn't anonymous, so I find it really hard to believe that a DHSC team member of the lab felt so upset by the media reports that they went home wrote a letter, printed it out, put it in an envelope, went to get a postage stamp, off to the post box and it is conveniently perfectly timed for a press conference. You're a member of DHSC, so you'd just fire an email to the Minister of the DHSC. That's it, an email. It's just bullshit. Quite. My thought was always around the timings. It arrived with the Minister on the Thursday by post to his home address. As you say, anyone within the DHSC would have just fired off an email or sent the printed letter to Crookall house rather than go to the bother of finding out the Minister's home address when other avenues were much easier. In order to send a letter that arrived with the Minister on Thursday's post, it must have been sent on Wednesday at the latest. That is a full 24 hours before I announced my resignation, as I resigned about 10.30pm on Tuesday night (to the Minister and the head of the path lab) and announced it on Twitter on Thursday lunchtime. I informed the lab team on Wednesday afternoon about my resignation and how it had absolutely nothing to do with their stellar work and I would likely see them soon enough as a private contractor. There are a few "arms length" people that email didn't go to though (they're on my short-list of potential authors) but there would have been only 2-3 hours between me announcing my resignation to 5-6 people in the path lab and the post-office closing for the day on the Wednesday. It's a real Miss Marple. Edited November 19, 2020 by rachomics 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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