Bloggers & Ministers

I'm glad Trixy reminded me about the startlingly daft speech Hazel Blears, the Communities Minister (whatever that means), gave to the Hansard Society the other day. Though the irrepressible Mrs Blears was correct to bemoan the rise of a political class with no hinterland beyond Westminster (this also applies to the media classes, of course), it was her comments about blogs that were the purest Class A piffle. Apparently:

Until political blogging 'adds value' to our political culture, by allowing new voices, ideas and legitimate protest and challenge, and until the mainstream media reports politics in a calmer, more responsible manner, it will continue to fuel a culture of cynicism and despair."

But of course the entire point of the blogosphere is that it's entirely open to new voices and, indeed, new ideas. Equally, there's no requirement that it meet some government minister's definition of what kind of protests and chellenges may be considered "legitimate". And thank god for that. Finally, one might say that after more than a decade of this government, cynicism and despair are an entirely rational response to the state of Britain today.

Comments

[Anthony]

I can't abide Hazel Blears. I remember back in the day before she was a frontbencher she used to be on BBC2's "Dispatch Box" all the time and she invariably set my teeth on edge, sitting there with her shit-eating grin, reciting the party line so fluently she might as well have had a teleprompter strapped to her face and rolling her eyes whenever anyone disagreed with her.

I'm not sure why, but at the time I rather thought these qualities would result in her plummeting down the memory hole of backbench obscurity. Was I ever so naive?

[marksany]

She's small but deadly, isn't she? Hiding behind a cutsie little woman full of charm and good humour is a Dictator who wishes to remove the freedom of ordinary people to write their thoughts down where others may see them. All the while complaining that ordinary people are not politically engaged. She seems to have taken Mr Dale in, which is a shame, but never mind; there are a lot of other blogs out there, at the moment.