MP in Politics Show blunder

Rochdale MP Paul Rowen

Paul Rowen MP got a shock when he appeared on the Politics Show yesterday, when a technical slip-up broadcasted him to the nation as Labour MP.

The Liberal Democrat politician appeared on the BBC show to oppose the lack of compensation available to sufferers of asbestos related diseases.

But as he spoke with the presenter about the serious issue relating to asbestos, a banner appeared on screen, accidentally labelling him to the wrong political party.

Luckily presenter Annabel Tiffin referred to him in conversation as a member of the Liberal Democrat party, and the seriousness of the issues in hand meant the blunder was overlooked, even by Paul Rowen himself.

He said: “I am not particularly bothered what party the BBC say I am from.

“It was a relatively new production team and to be fair the presenter Annabel Tiffin described me as a ‘Liberal Democrat.’

“The issue of asbestos, mesothelioma and pleural plaques is non-political and the important thing here is that the programme gave much-needed television coverage for the current injustice in the system.

This is something that I recently raised in an all-party meeting of the Parliamentary Group on asbestos and it is something I will continue to work with members from all political parties to put right.

The current system deprives victims of compensation and saves insurance companies a fortune. The law needs changing to reflect the seriousness of pleural plaques and its affect on people who suffer from it. This is something that we are working towards.”

Save Spodden Valley campaigner, Jason Addy, also appeared on the show, airing his concerns about asbestos, pleural plaques and the call out for compensation for sufferers.


The show can be viewed on : www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00hvx2w/The_Politics_Show_North_West_22_02_2009/
Details about asbestos related diseases, and the Save Spodden Valley campaign, can be viewed on: www.spodden-valley.co.uk