Tony Blair starts blogging.....
Well actually, Tony Blair has 'posted' on the Guardian's Comment is Free blog, No more coded critiques - let's have an open debate on where we go next .
It looks and sounds good but as far as an open debate goes..... er, that's it. There doesn't seem to be a response to any of the subsequent comments posted and ironically at the end of TB's post it gives us the Number 10 website. For fun(!) I followed the link.... but, nope, no debate there. Just a lot of one-way messges.
You could argue that a blog at Number 10 - ghosted or otherwise - would possibly be the best place for one. Kudos to Miliband for starting the ball rolling but the issues coming from Downing Street are perhaps a lot more significant to most than DEFRA (with the possible exception of global warming... oh, and CAP....).
Thoughts Tony?
Hat tip: LabourHome
Was Blair writing exclusively for CiF, or was the thing written for the hardcopy Guardian and then pasted (like all their opinion pieces) into the CiF site?
The last time Downing Street had a forum for the public they just had trolls and very little constructive comment (and that was when he and the Labour Party much more popular than today). Which makes me think they're not likely to want to go down that route again.
And in any case I can't say I'm that keen on ghosted blogs.
Posted by: Andrew Brown | 30 June 2006 at 08:09
I don't know for certain, Andrew but it looked like a cut and paste job from the Guardian.
I think the best way to stop trolls etc is to moderate comments, but given it's No 10 they would probably need 2-3 full-time dedicated moderators!
I don't think a ghost-wrtitten No 10 blog would be a bad thing. From a communication perspective the mere fact of dialogue between No 10 and the public is good as long as Blair or his policy people contribute. On a corporate level ghost-written blogs are commonplace (see http://publicsphere.typepad.com/mediations/2006/01/ghosted_ceo_blo.html).
Posted by: Simon | 30 June 2006 at 11:15
Simon, great job you're doing here. I was pointed to your blog thanks to David (Miliband).
Keep up the good work.
Tony
Posted by: Tony Blair | 30 June 2006 at 11:30
Thanks for those comments, Tony.
It is particularly reassuring that online communications - and their impact on democracy and public policy - are being taken seriously by the Government, especially those at the top!
Likewise, I am flattered David is spreading the good word.
If you have any jobs going... you know where to find me!
Posted by: Simon | 01 July 2006 at 19:33