Alun Cairns has once again found himself in hot water after it emerged that he has used Assembly stationary for personal use. The concerns are regarding just one sheet of paper used back in 2002 but given the week he’s had this is enough to get the papers on his back again.
With his candidacy for the Vale of Glamorgan seat still hanging in the balance this is not the sort of headlines he would want hanging over him. With so many weeks of riding high the Tories may have got a little complacent and this wake up call in Wales, in addition to the David Davis circus and Caroline Spelman’s nanny financing, could be the start of their very own Brown snowball.
Banking on the MoD?
1 hour ago
9 comments:
you really hammering the Alun Cairns over his comments any particular reason for this Che?
Cheers for the comment anon.
I don't think I have to be honest.
I think my post over the Italian comments was fairly reasoned. I don't think Alun Cairns is in anyway a racist by nature and made that clear. (Although that is still no excuse for his comments.) I actually stated I thought there was no malice in them and that he had been punished enough? Hardly hammering.
This post is not about his comments but a separate story about expenses. Again I haven't hammered him only stated that it will be another headline he could have done without, and another bad headline for the Tories who have had a few bad days recently.
There's clearly a witch hunt going on now. It's pretty vile.
I wouldn't go so far as that. I would expect our press to scrutinise. We give them enough stick for not being investigative so if a politician has broken any rules it should be publicised.
I think the coverage of the Italian remarks was inevitable. As much as I do not think those comments reflect Alun Cairns as a person they enforced a negative stereotype and were racist. If any politician used them they should expect to have the press on their backs. To be fair I think Plaid and the Lib Dems have been measured in their response. Labour has understandably gone after it given they currently hold the Vale seat.
A second story is not a witch hunt yet. Then again if there is a basis to it you can't call it a witch hunt as he has seemingly done wrong. I am sure that Labour will keep up on this until Cairns is withdrawn from the candidacy. If not expect to see John Smith with an Italian Shirt sometime soon in your local rag.
The concerns are regarding just one sheet of paper used back in 2002 but given the week he’s had this is enough to get the papers on his back again.
When you posted the above words in your blog entry I thought this was a satyrical piece a la 'The Daily Mash'.......but no, it's acutally written in all seriousness. I have voted Plaid in every election to date....and would never vote Conservative.....but really, I think that these petty attacks have gone too far. There are acutally serious things happening about there.....billions being embezzled in the Iraq war....countless people dying....UK economy on the brink or a deep and prolonged recession.....and in Wales....we talk of the improper use of a sheet of paper back in 2002!
Anon I can't say I know where you are coming from. My post is noting how the media have got on the back of Cairns and how this story is another bad headline for him. That is a fact. I am not labelling Alun Cairns a thief but reporting the fact that he has once again this week found himself in the papers and not in a positive way.
Also I do not speak for Plaid and as far as I have seen Plaid have not gone after Alun Cairns so I think your point there is a bit misguided?
I merely mentioned Plaid to show that I wasn't defending Cairns for tribal reasons. I always found him quite irritating....but if I lived in his consituency....he might even get a sympathy vote......Well, maybe not...but you know what I'm trying to say.
I know what your saying that it can appear as Alun is the victim here. Having said that I think for many people racism and racist remark are very hard to have sympathy for.
Perhaps he has even used stationEry - e for envelope.
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