A veteran MP has questioned the ‘political stances’ of regional editors as he congratulated a daily news chief on the fourth anniversary of his appointment.

Newport West MP Paul Flynn tabled an Early Day Motion congratulating South Wales Argus editor Kevin Ward on reaching the milestone, singling out praise for the paper’s “fair and commendable political balance”.

However Mr Flynn went on to question the political neutrality of other regional newspapers and editors.

He told the Argus: “Many MPs are denied the full access to the local press because of the political stance of the editors. Under Kevin’s editorship all political parties have been given full access to the columns on a regular basis.”

Kevin responded by saying he was “flattered” by Mr Flynn’s motion and said political independence was “central to the Argus’ editorial policy”.

He said: “It is not our role to tell readers how they should vote, as some national newspaper have the arrogance to do, but we attempt to report across the political spectrum to help our readers make an informed decision and that is what we will do in the forthcoming National Assembly and Police and Crime Commissioner elections.”

Kevin, pictured above, took up his current role on 1 March 2012, St David’s Day in Wales.

He previously worked for the Argus in a range of editorial roles from 1989 until 2007, working his way up to deputy editor, before spending five years as editor of the Worcester News.

The EDM reads: “This House congratulates Kevin Ward on the fourth anniversary of his editorship of the South Wales Argus; believes he has enhanced the strong Gwent personality of the paper, maintained high journalistic standards and introduced universal access for all political opinions; emphasises that the introduction of columns written by elected representatives has created a fair and commendable political balance that is a fine example of pluralism in British journalism.”

A total of six South Wales MPs, five from Labour and one Conservative, have so far signed Mr Flynn’s EDM.