30.9.07

Party time, but which party?

I've noticed that since the Northern Irish MLA's went back to work the media have let the general public rely on their memories as to which political party each MLA is a member of. We used to have the name of the MLA and their party shown, on a caption, on TV every time any of them spoke or were interviewed. Now it's, for example...
Ms Michelle Gildernew MP MLA
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development
Is she in the SDLP or Sinn Fein? Maybe she's in the Alliance party.

What about...
Mr Conor Murphy MP MLA
Minister for Regional Development
Or
Ms Margaret Ritchie MLA
Minister for Social Development
Even the Northern Ireland Assembly website isn't helping. They've listed

Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure

Mr Edwin Poots MLA
Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure
Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure
Interpoint Centre
3rd Floor
20-24 York Street
BELFAST
BT15 1AQ

Tel: (028) 9025 8825
Fax: (028) 9025 8906

First impression by reading his job title and his office address would most certainly change if you check out his profile on his party page. Not a mention of any political parties on the Northern Ireland assembly page, why?

I make this appeal to any journalists or broadcasters that might happen to read this. Please tell us what party each MLA represents. If anyone else, from any firm, is interviewed we're told who exactly they are. Why not with MLA's?

Here endeth my rants for the afternoon!

1 comment:

Nelly said...

Deliberate policy I'd say. They want us to forget, or put to the backs of our mind, which party ministers represent.