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Editor blasts politicians for ‘ego-boosting’ flood visits

A regional daily editor has blasted politicians for using the flooding in the West Country for photo opportunities and to “inflate their own egos”.

Tim Dixon, , left, editor of the Western Daily Press, said the region seemed to have become a magnet for politicians, who have visited the flooding on the Somerset Levels in their droves.

He said there had been “plenty of hand-wringing” by those who had visited the area but “precious little in the way of concrete promises of genuine action” from them.

Tim added that many of the visitors seemed to be “boosting their profiles in advance of the General Election” and flood victims did not want to be used to illustrate party manifestos or in promotional films.

In his comment piece, he wrote that for weeks, people in the region had complained that those in power had stayed away but now it had gone to the other extreme.

Tim wrote: “One of the latest to visit was Lib Dem leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg. His aides said on Sunday that it would be a ‘private visit’, before detailing the times and places for the inevitable photo opportunity. We think we see a pattern emerging here.

“Are the visitors – especially the political ones – coming with anything concrete and useful to say, or are they busy boosting their profiles in advance of the General Election?

“Neglect is bad. But using victims of the floods and the storms as a useful backdrop to what will, we suspect, become campaign pictures to be used to illustrate party manifestos in the months to come, is most definitely worse.

“The farmers of the Somerset Levels, watching their fields, their barns and their homes fill up with fetid water, do not want parts as extras in any kind of promotional electioneering film designed to show how ‘caring’ Mr Clegg or Mr Cameron might be. They want action.

“When Owen Paterson led the political charge to the Somerset Levels last month we warned that the first rule of visiting a disaster zone was to come with some good news for those affected.

“So far we have had plenty of hand-wringing from all concerned but precious little in the way of concrete promises of genuine action from anyone. All politicians are, of course, welcome in our region, but not to inflate their own egos.”

6 comments

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  • February 13, 2014 at 10:23 am
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    Well said that man! Found Nigel Garage’s visit particularly nauseating, especially as he’s not even an MP.

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  • February 13, 2014 at 11:39 am
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    Hmmm, and if they didn’t come no doubt he would accuse the same politicians of ignoring the West Country’s plight. I also assume he didn’t use any pictures of the visiting leaders on a point of principle.

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  • February 13, 2014 at 3:08 pm
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    Thoroughly agree with Mr Nagasaki. These situations are always win-win for regional press. If politicians turn up they are attention seeking. If they don’t they are uncaring. Either way it’s an easy story with a couple of quick phone calls to the right camp.

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  • February 13, 2014 at 5:07 pm
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    The best editor in the business comes up with the sagest of comments.

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  • February 13, 2014 at 10:04 pm
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    The WDP coverage of the floods in Somerset and elsewhere throughout the country has been totally concentrated on those who are affected by the rising water. The papers stance for many weeks now has been commendable, including the photos and help with raising relief funds. It has shown what a Regional daily should be and can do for those its coverage represents.

    A.Reader.

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  • February 14, 2014 at 11:47 am
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    No one is saying the media should encourage or ignore these visits, and Johnners1712 is right about the politicians being damned if they do etc
    But, much of this is closing the flood gates after the..you get the idea.
    The climate change lobby, the weather bods, hydrologists, the EA and the ordinary joe on the ground have been predicting this for years and it is papers like Tim’s that have reported it.
    Now everyone is jumping on the bandwagon, probably being towed by a tractor across sodden fields.

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