Playing doctors and nurses
The Liberal Democrats "completely and utterly condemn" any attempts at "hoodwinking the people" during elections. I know that because today, they told us so when we pointed out to them that BNP candidates in some Welsh constituencies seem to be disguising their identity on the ballot paper.
I'm sure John Dixon, the Liberal Democrat candidate in Cardiff North agrees. I wonder if it's news to him that the nurse with whom he's chatting in the large photograph on the front of his campaign leaflet is, in fact, a "nurse". Unlikely.
She's a Liberal Democrat researcher for Assembly Member Mick Bates who, we must presume, had been rummaging in the dressing up box before the photo shoot. There's even an authentic looking ready-for-action biro in her top pocket.
Does it matter?
No, say the Lib Dems. The photo was "designed to be illustrative" and was there to help highlight the party's commitment to improving the NHS.
Oh yes it does say the Conservatives.
Local AM Jonathan Morgan thinks it's "appalling that the Lib Dems in Cardiff North would seek to deliberately mislead my constituents by using a picture of their candidate talking to a nurse, when I know she is not a nurse and has never been a nurse."
Oh yes it does say Labour.
"It's one thing pretending your leader could be Prime Minister" says a spokesman with an eye for an opportunity, "quite another having your staff pretend to work for the NHS".
Plaid's verdict? We're waiting for it.
You can see the names of all of those standing in Cardiff North here.
I'm Betsan Powys, BBC Wales' political editor. I'll be blogging the inside track on 
© 2012~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~46~RS~)
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Prehaps they like playing doctors and nurses ??
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Of course every thing we see on television and hear on the radio it is all real and honest isn't it.
All those people we see on the adverts, they are real people aren't they?
Oh no! please don't tell me they are actors.
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Betsan
"You can see the names of all of those standing in Cardiff North here."
Thanks for that. Has the BBC got that list right? Do none of the Unionist parties in Wales put "Welsh" in front of their name?
I ask because the BBC wrongly uses the real (as opposed to the Unionist parties use up here - putting "Scottish" in front of their label).
In North Ayrshire & Arran, for example, the Beeb lists the party names as
Labour
Liberal Democrat
Scottish National Party
Conservative
Socialist Labour Party
Only the SNP and Socialist Labour names are those used by the candidates. The other three pretend that they are Scottish parties.
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Well I never ! .
Presumably all those children in various electoral photo-shoots are cleverly disguised researchers, or precocious politically aware 8 year olds who are convinced by deficit-reducing policies , trident-replacement theories .
Lembit Opik even gets his researchers to dress up as weather girls, pop stars and model , in order to counteract the drabness of mid-Wales politics.
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Or pretending that minimum pricing is a good idea in rUK but not for Scotland? What is the LD position on this in Wales?
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2, On election broadcasts, they state when they are actors or it would be misleading.
It's certainly not the most misleading Lib Dem leaflet I have seen. Mind you, there an awful lot of contenders for that title.
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Off topic
I'd just like to thank Betsan for being so accommodating to the hordes of Caledonian refugees who have been deprived of our blog commenting fix.
As a token of our appreciation for the Celtic solidarity, we'll now sing Land of My Fathers in Gaelic.
Tìr m' athraichean, tìr nam fear saor
tìr nam bàrd agus òran, daoine uasail
na fir-cogaidh dàna aice agus an gràdh dùthcha
b'ann airson saoirse gun do chaill iad am fuil
A' Chuimrigh! A' Chuimrigh!
Is gràdh mo dùthchas leam
Leig am muir mar balla a bhith do'n tìr brèagh seo
agus cumaidh e an sean chànain beò.
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Apologies to Betsan and regular posters to her blog but in the absence of open political blogs on BBC Scotland the issues relating to devolved nations are resonant.
On topic (slight of hand). The BBC itself seems happy to facilitate this in Scotland. Covering Ian Grey (leader of Labour group in the Scottish Parliament) campaigning on (devolved) issue of knife crime is happy merely to print his press statement that SNP and LD are blocking Labour's plans of automatic 6 month jail for carrying a knife. This proposal is in fact going through due parliamentary process having been considered at committee. It us currently "blocked" by due process. It is also currently opposed by Scottish Police as being unworkable.
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Just to clarify @8 there is no quote from any other party in response to Mr Gray's comments. I attempt to convince myself that these things happen as a result of inexperience, poor research, rushed dealines, pressure but it is becoming increasingly difficult to believe.
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It seems the Lib Dems like misleading pics!
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As lovely as it is, how come the Moderators allow Gaelic on the blog but not Welsh.
Bit of bias there I am thinking, where are all the anti welsh commentators now I wonder
Interesting and it will be remembered.
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#3 oldnat
"Has the BBC got that list right? Do none of the Unionist parties in Wales put "Welsh" in front of their name?"
It may vary in other places, but the nominations for the constituencies of the City and County of Swansea include candidates for:
● Labour Party
● Welsh Conservative Party
● Welsh Liberal Democrats
Not a little odd, since "Welsh Labour", like "Scottish Labour" have their own website and separate manifesto. Not that the BBC's ELECTION 2010 Parties and issues deigns to provide links other than to the English manifestos for all three Tweedles, and the BBC's NewsOnline Complaints unit do not seem to be able to comprehend my response to them that from wherever accessed it shows only one manifesto for each of the Conservative and Labour parties as well as the Liberal Democrats, whereas they each have separate manifestos for Scotland (and possibly Wales?), which have been available for some time.
Why, I wonder, would the BBC not wish voters to see the manifesto relevant to their own constituency?
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11. alfsplace1986
Vaughan Roderick
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As a constituent of Cardiff North I disagree with Jonathan Morgan expectation of an apology. I don’t care who is in the picture and can appreciate that it is an illustration. I am amazed at the response from Liberal candidate’s opposition and that they have actually gone to the effort of investigating this and highlighting it. I am more interested in what these people are actually going to do for my area. (A point that seems to be lost on most of propaganda that I have received from the candidates.)
This just shows the petty points scoring that we have come to expect from politicians these days.
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