And Another Thing…

Without wanting to sound to sycophantic, the reason I read your blog is that it is enjoyable to read.

This may sound an obvious thing to say – but so many political blogs are tediously dull to the point of wondering why people bother with them.

No, I don’t want to read a 16 page essay on the finer points of marxist (or capitalist come to that) theory – every single day.

I’ve moved away from reading the heavyweight political sites such as LabourList/Conservative Home and the increasingly bizarre rantings from LiberalConspiracy as they are like having PMQs on 24/7. Constantly sniping and bitching about any slightest issue they can get their teeth into.

It’s too much!

Blogs by politicians seem to be more rounded affairs and in general more pleasant to read.

If anything, I would say please let us have more MPs writing blogs, and try to dissuade the strident “I am always right” activists from getting too close to a keyboard.

Party politics is the key. So many ambitious juniors will want to be on-message and consequently only have press releases to repeat. As you say, more senior personalities will be persuaded to enjoy the simple life…

But what that means is that an exciting way of communicating with a wide audience – and interacting with that audience – is being spurned by those who have most to gain from it.

What makes you think that they have anything to gain from it? They might have a lot to lose.

MPs start out in the public view as faceless people about which they have no opinion, positive or negative. If you’re a likeable sort of person (like, say, Tom Harris), there’s a lot of good will to be gained as people find this out. If, however, you’re a complete and utter bastard, there’s a lot of good will to be lost as people find that out too. Likeable MPs, who know they’re likeable people, will do well to start blogs. And the rest won’t, if they know what’s good for them.

Ergo, if most MPs don’t have blogs, it’s because most of them are complete and utter bastards. And, furthermore, they know it.

Leastways the ones who voted for the smoking ban do.

This podcast is the first one I have listened to. Technically it seems hyper compressed, as if you are all munchkins. You aren’t a Muchkin, are you?

I liked the way you handled the “helpful” PMQ thing. I never believed for one minute that you planted the question, but it was worth baiting you over it.

I have blogged about the Rod Liddle episode and I think Charlotte was wrong. She is so viscerally a liberal luvvie that she cannot contemplate the idea that some people are scum bags and some happen to be black scum bags. Charlotte dear, if you are reading this, life is just not fair, but the stats show the truth about this, which is that Liddle got his facts right, even if he indulged in a bit of irony about goat stew.

Charlotte did, however bring up what is probably one of the most important issues, and that is about the nastyness of the blogosphere.

I agree, but I think it is a growing pain. As soon as people realise that there are people at the end of it, we shall start being civil. (I am guilty)

The Thick of It:

“There is a lot of truth in it” TH

Stephen Byers was mentioned..as in “a good day to bury bad news”

Of course it’s bloody true.

You favourite quote, “one thing about the evil, they have a great work ethic” – strange how this is hysterically funny in that context, but if Bernie Ecclestone says, “Hitler was somebody who could get things done”, the thought police are all over him.

Mussolini made the trains run on time Tom. You didn’t. But on balance I prefer you.

“Ergo, if most MPs don’t have blogs, it’s because most of them are complete and utter bastards. And, furthermore, they know it.”

Perfect

Let’s face it, a couple of hundred-odd Nulabour MPs know they are on the way out in June so they rightly think ‘what’s the point’.

Charlotte said she hadn’t looked into the matter of ethnic proportion in regard to crime figures.

Perhaps she should. It’s the crux of Liddle’s argument.

But don’t we already know why things are as they are?

If one simply scorns the free education offered, has never had a father figure and leaves school semi-literate, what choice but crime is there?

And if that crime happens to be drug related, and can easily make you a thousand a week, within the comfort and solidarity of a violent gang, what incentive for solid citizenship is there?

The problem will not only continue, it will escalate so long as the tragically naive Charlotte Gore’s of this world think it’s crudely racist to point this out.

Tory lead down again and the tory fantasists are on hyperdrive!

I read your cause it’s thoroughly enjoyable. Keep up the good work

[...] This post was Twitted by brendanhodgson [...]

There is also an issue of general party culture here. I was at a regional training day in the autumn and attended a session with a section on
“online campaigning”.

The staffer waxed lyrical on the dangers of blogging without mentioning the political benefits (or that it was fun). I know a couple of local parties that have played merry hell with the Tories using their blog, forcing the local press to cover issues which they’ve ignored.

The message was clear: “we would rather you didn’t blog but if you insist then please ensure your posts are narcolepsy-inducing”.

While sections of the top brass seem to “get” online it seems this culture change is yet to filter through. I take small comfort from the probability that the situation won’t be dramatically different for the Tories.

[...] Asks Tom Harris MP (Lab, Glasgow North) via his own feted blog. He concludes that it is the fear of putting a right honourable foot in it, but still laments the opportunity lost to engage openly with voters: [...]

Keep on blogging… but don’t encourage too many of your fellow MPs (all political persuasions) to take it up…. I may be drinking too much already.

I suppose supporting your own successful blog spot takes a huge amount of time and effort.

MPs should engage with their public a bit more. They are our mouthpieces, and it is what we want not what they assume is good for us that matters.

What a good way to hold an alternative surgery?

Several political blogs of Tory persuasion are droning mantra driven drivel. There is no flexibility. Cosy zone Tory blogs can be very dreary.

Iain Dale is streaks ahead- unfettered is the word!!
Once one becomes an MP establishmentitis kicks in, almost death where is thy sting?

PS you are not too bad really , for a socialist!

Tom,
How right you are. I started blogging because I was sick to the back teeth of the distortions in the media on European issues. I agree, blogging as an elected politician isn’t easy and you have to watch your back. Even so, I feel very strongly that it’s worth it.

[...] on a side note, Tom Harris MP has his own cautionary example to explain why we don’t have more blogging Parliamentarians: [...]

[...] on a side note, Tom Harris MP has his own cautionary example to explain why we don’t have more blogging Parliamentarians: [...]