THE First Minister of one the UK nations has resigned after a stunning mutiny that saw four of his top ministers quit his government at once.
Vaughan Gething’s ousting as Welsh First Minister and Labour leader is a test for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who just six weeks ago backed Gething to the hilt and thanked him for his leadership.
But scandal after scandal – not least having taken £200,000 from a convict's firm and sacking a minister on apparently baseless grounds – finally led to Gething’s downfall in the first real test of Starmer’s premiership.
But if you were watching BBC News at One, then there was apparently a more pressing story: England’s Gareth Southgate has quit as team manager.
The editors of the BBC News website have come to the same conclusion, carrying two stories about Southgate above their single one about Gething.
The BBC News app goes a step further, and has an entire "Gareth Southgate" section on its homepage. Gething still has just that one story.
For BBC viewers not aware of the two developments, the introduction of the News at One broadcast could have been about either.
It began: “Today at one, time for a new chapter.”
But the BBC’s priorities quickly became apparent, as the host added: “The words of Gareth Southgate as he resigns as England manager.”
Viewers were then shown a clip of Southgate on the pitch, before a journalist speaking live from Wembley quoted him a bit more.
Then, the arguably more pressing news was relayed: “Wales’s First Minister Vaughan Gething quits after four of his ministers step down.”
Today will prove, should it be needed, that devolved media is essential for Wales. Gething v Southgate - a new dawn 😂🏴
— Iwan Cruyff ⚽️ 🏴 🚴🏼♂️ 💙 (@IwanCruyff) July 16, 2024
The BBC’s priorities were picked up on by some social media users, with one writing: “Today will prove, should it be needed, that devolved media is essential for Wales. Gething v Southgate – a new dawn.”
A second said: “Both Vaughan Gething resigned as @PrifWeinidog (First Minister) of Wales and Southgate as football manager of England this morning. Guess which one leads on @BBCNews?
“A football manager is more important than the actual f*cking leader of one of the nations of the UK!!”
And a third wrote: “England men’s football manager Gareth Southgate resigning gets top spot on the BBC Radio 2 news above the First Minister of Wales, Vaughan Gething resigning.
“Really shows where Welsh Government comes in the ‘national’ broadcaster’s priorities, below sports.”
From Scotland, pollster James Kelly added: “Bronze medal for Vaughan Gething today – despite the First Minister of Wales being an objectively far more important figure than the England football manager, Gething's resignation is only the third top headline on the BBC website, with Southgate's resignation taking the top two.”
With the BBC's England focus, is it any surprise that Southgate gets top billing?
The Jouker has to wonder if the situation would be repeated for an SNP first minister, or would that bad news be too good for the BBC to relegate?
