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As, finally, rights of sovereignty and some problems from Britain’s European Union (EU) withdrawal appear to have been resolved for one part of the UK, here our Editor, Welshman Phil Parry explains how during 23 years with the BBC, and 39 years in journalism (when he was trained to use simple language, avoiding jargon), issues of true ownership have been central.
Previously he has described how he was helped to break into the South Wales Echo office car when he was a cub reporter, recalled his early career as a journalist, the importance of experience in the job, and made clear that the ‘calls’ to emergency services as well as court cases are central to any media operation.
He has also explored how poorly paid most journalism is when trainee reporters had to live in squalid flats, the vital role of expenses, and about one of his most important stories on the now-scrapped 53 year-old BBC Cymru Wales (BBC CW) TV Current Affairs series, Week In Week Out (WIWO), which won an award even after it was axed, long after his career really took off.
Phil has explained too how crucial it is actually to speak to people, the virtue of speed as well as accuracy, why knowledge of ‘history’ is vital, how certain material was removed from TV Current Affairs programmes when secret cameras had to be used, and some of those he has interviewed.
Earlier he disclosed why investigative journalism is needed now more than ever although others have different opinions.
Exposing theft, and explaining who rightfully owns what, have often lain at the heart of my journalism.
For example a South Wales criminal exclusively exposed by The Eye (who had his legs broken when a drugs deal soured), stole huge amounts by tricking innocent people out of thousands of pounds.
Howard Williams (who changed his name to James Daniels and has run cafés or take-aways in South Wales as well as in Spain when he didn’t pay his staff), was jailed earlier this year at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court (MTCC) for four years and six months, after committing serious drug offences.
Apart from our journalists revealing that he was a thief and a drugs dealer, Williams/Daniels had admitted to being imprisoned (even before the latest conviction), but he described it in a Facebook (FB) post as a “short while”, when in fact he was put behind bars for years, and it wasn’t short at all!
During his previous career as an ‘Estate Agent’, the anger of one individual was clear on a property website as his thieving became evident: “He (Williams/Daniels) makes you pay circa £10k deposit and then disappears into the sunset”.
At a property event in the South of England, The Eye were told that an investor had lost £30,000 to him.
His extraordinary exploits have even been the subject of our satirical writer Edwin Phillips and Williams/Daniels has boasted of owning a boat as well as a jetski, which he has said on FB was for sale, and may not have been his.
Over many years I have brought out how he has taken people’s property, but had to withstand a torrent of abuse from him and his supporters because of it.
In one tirade he wrote to me on FB: “You write total lies about people (The Eye – we only report facts), bully to the point of harassment and suicide, and will not answer a direct email? This is not journalism this is a mixture of Phil Parry (The ex journalist) and (others) you are pure scum!!!!! Let it be publicly known that The Eye does NOT care about people it just lies to make fictitious stories up. BULLYING, LIES, MENTAL HEALTH ABUSE TO NAME BUT A FEW!!!!!”.
In another he said: “I am have contacted you (sic) numerous times before asking why you consistently, stalk, bully and harass me? … You so far have asked the following for comments:
Thief
Abuser (The Eye have never said Williams/Daniels is an abuser).
Liar
Sex Offender (The Eye have never said Williams/Daniels is a sex offender).
Drug user (The Eye have never said Williams/Daniels is a drug user, just that he has dealt in illegal drugs).
This may all seem a long way from what we have just witnessed, but in fact it isn’t.
Some believe that the European Union (EU) effectively STOLE Northern Ireland (NI), and there has been an issue over who had rightful sovereignty controlling key factors involving the province.
This (it would seem) has now been resolved (in the short term anyway) by the Windsor Framework (WF), which the visit of US President Joe Biden has cemented.
His four-day excursion to NI and the Republic of Ireland marked the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement – a peace deal which helped end 30 years of violent conflict.
It may not have happened at all without the WF.
Rights of sovereignty and ownership have a long history, too, and are not simply confined to facts I have uncovered, or agreements involving politicians.
A bystander was killed on the Gower in 1557, when a fight broke out between two groups of people, over who rightfully owned a wrecked cargo of raisins, almonds and figs.
Thankfully rows over how to transport cattle between NI and the Republic, have not come to this, but the activities of a thief and drug-dealer I have exposed are almost as bad.
At least people are protected for a time from Williams/Daniels now, because he is in prison, but the WF might only be a sticking plaster, and hasn’t resolved anything in the long run…
Regrettably publication of another book, however, was refused, because it was to have included names.
Tomorrow – the Welsh BBC personality using social media to back openly a controversial political cause, who has been publicly condemned as a “safeguarding risk” after making a 12 year old cry when he refused to officiate the second half of a children’s rugby match.
