Guido Fawkes testing political transparency through social media

I criticised Guido Fawkes last year for his childish attempts to wreck a legitimate experiment with social media by the government.

But it's amazing what a few months can do.... Guido recently asked David "Dave" Cameron a tricky question about party funding through the "Ask Dave" section of Webcameron. It wasn't answered despite being voted the top question readers wanted asking. So Guido asked it again.

It is a classic case study in social media: honesty, transparency and openess are vital to succeed which is why the medium is such an important one in revolutionising politics.

I wrote to PR Week in October about the rush by politicians to leap aboard the social media band-wagon warning that despite what people were saying, social media tools themselves wouldn't change politics and re-engage an apathetic electorate.

That could only happen with a change in political attitudes, although this attitudinal change itself could be catalysed by social media and it's emphasis on transparency [polemical post here!].

I wouldn't recommend any business to start blogging if they weren't prepared to be open with customers... ditto for political parties. 

I bet the Dave is wishing he had a moderation policy in place now... and perhaps this explains why the labour have been so backwards aboput coming forwards on the social media front!

Comments

[Ian Delaney]

Good post, Simon. Like we all know, social media can't help a bad product...

(Though in fairness, probably all politicians are bad products in some respects. I do wish some of my lefty heros like Benn would start blogging, though).

[Guido Fawkes]

Wreck, moi? Miliband had no interest in a genuine consultation or a wiki constructed policy.

He wanted a sham consultation, he got mocked. End of consultation.

My understanding from CCHQ sources is that there are those who want to give a straight answer and those who say this is what you get for pandering to the great unwashed.

The former is said to include Dave himself and the WebCameron crowd.

But if they don't answer it or at least credibly explain why they can't answer it the WebCameron idea will be damaged.

[Simon Collister]

Guido, you say "sham", I say "experiment"... ; )

I genuinely hope that Dave and I presume Steve Hilton win out. Those that say "this is what you get for pandering etc" are exactly the same ones people have in mind when they say "politicians doncha hate 'em?".

You're also spot on about the delay in addressing the issue. There must be a formula explaining exactly the relationship bewteen delays in aanswering Qs and the damage to credability.