Will the disputes be whited out of the bulletins?

A key element that stories like the rows over “British Jobs for British Workers” need is a rapid build up of media coverage and continuing a sense of momentum. That’s what happened with the fuel crisis in September 2000 and what, on Friday, looked like happening this morning.

Alas while the disputes are still making some headlines the London-based national media has gone crazy for the snow story. This is in line with their standard obsession with anything that disrupts travel in the capital.

So the next few days will be dominated by tales of disruption and the usual questioning of why we are not better prepared.

This will inevitably lead to much less coverage of the jobs disputes and the question is whether the protests can be sustained with a reduced level of coverage on the TV and in the papers.

My guess is that this could happen which will lead to huge sighs of relief in Downing Street. The consequences of what is being seen as Gord’s pre-election “dog whistle” of September 2007 had the makings of a political as well as an industrial crisis.

Our catoon, as ever, is by Marf of LondonSketchbook.com who has just returned from a short break.