THE Island's Social Care Minister has attacked Isle of Man Newspapers after it launched a campaign to save government run pre-school education.
Chris Robertshaw MHK said the campaign which encouraged readers to protest outside Tynwald yesterday (February 21) was "hysterical".
Last week the Department of Education and Children revealed that all state funded pre-school education would be stopped in a bid to make savings.
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The Isle of Man Examiner then called on readers to oppose the education cuts and "protest against Tynwald on Budget day and to wave the paper's front page as part of the demonstration".
Speaking in Tynwald Mr Robertshaw said: "I recall, not too long ago, that the editorials were warning of the real difficulties ahead and that hard choices must not be shirked if we were to get through to calmer waters. And what happens? At the first sight of grapeshot the newspapers entered into an almost hysterical campaign in an attempt to get a decision on nurseries reversed.
"To the editor of the newspaper, or his owners, or whosoever it is that is adopting this new style of cheap, popularist UK journalism just to sell newspapers I say shame on you."
Mr Robertshaw also said he had been less than impressed with the "recent conduct of some union leaders".
He added: "I reserve my last remarks for certain union leaders who, in private, I find to be reasonable, caring and fair people.
"I say to them – 'stop this ridiculous posturing in public and start properly looking after the interests of your members in a serious, mature and responsible manner'.
"Times have changed. In the coming years there will be, no doubt, Ministers, including me, who will make mistakes. We will stumble - we will on occasion look foolish. We are human.
"If our error is a grave one we must step down. If less so we must apologise learn from the experience and move on. What we will not do is shirk our responsibilities in our determination to overcome the current budgetary difficulties in order to get the Isle of Man back on track."
Mr Robertshaw said that his department would work with the Minister for Education and Children, Peter Karran MHK, and said: "I am satisfied that far from this being a fatal blow to nursery care it will, after the initial shock and upset of change has passed, be the beginning of a new era of growth in nursery provision."
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