Comments on: Blears lays the blame

By: I tried “adding value” to Hazel Blears’ blog, but all I got was this lousy error message… « Don’t Get Fooled Again

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 19:31:00 +0000

[...] also: “Blears lays the blame”, “That Hazel Blears Speech”, “Hazel Blears, bloggers and the end of [...]

By: Taking Hazel Blears seriously - Chicken Yoghurt

Taking Hazel Blears seriously - Chicken Yoghurt — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 20:37:42 +0000

[...] My comments about Blears’ comments about blogging stand. I blog and try to make my views and voice heard because I’m not represented by the narrow choices offered by mainstream politics and I can’t expect the Guardian’s letters page to publish my opinion every day. I doubt I’m alone. I don’t believe I have any influence nor do I seek any beyond the loose campaigning coalitions I’ve been part of that are really – no disrespect to them – just highly organised adjuncts to the traditional lobbying of MPs anyway. [...]

By: Hazel Blears’ talk to the Hansard Society about Political Engagement: Here is the text | The Wardman Wire

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:28:56 +0000

[...] – what do you think – Justin, Tim, Iain, Guido, Paulie, Mick, Curly, Bob, Tom and all the [...]

By: Matt Wardman

Matt Wardman — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 08:10:24 +0000

>Be fair. A “politics which increasingly speaks with a middle-class, middle England accent” is what we have. But that’s pretty much always been the case in UK politics, with a hefty leavening of upper classes and a few exceptional working-class autodidacts like Lloyd George. Why should blogging be any different ?

Except that blog platforms are precisely one of the routes to redress that balance, and there are a lot of people doing it already – but Mrs B chooses to compain (as far as I can tell from second hand reports of the transcripts I have not seen yet) about gossip in the Westminster Village.

Not. Good. Enough.

Matt

By: Hazel Blears’ Hansard Society talk about Grassroots Engagement not Streamed Online. Why not? | The Wardman Wire

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:39:44 +0000

[...] Justin. [...]

By: Justin

Justin — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:37:01 +0000

Why should blogging be any different ?

Well for one thing, the barriers to entry are extremely low. Lower at least than those barring entry to politics.

By: Sim-O

Sim-O — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:33:20 +0000

We’ve been rumbled!
I’m glad I got in before the blogging gates were shut.
The last thing we need is new voices watering down our l33t ideas with their illegitmate voices.
Blogging, especially political *must* be controlled!

By: Laban Tall

Laban Tall — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 08:59:38 +0000

Be fair. A “politics which increasingly speaks with a middle-class, middle England accent” is what we have. But that’s pretty much always been the case in UK politics, with a hefty leavening of upper classes and a few exceptional working-class autodidacts like Lloyd George. Why should blogging be any different ?

I wonder if her speech isn’t more of a (unconscious?) meditation on the Labour Party, which of all the parties had (historically) the highest number of working class MPs and is now dominated by the polytechnocracy and higher. Last time I looked at GB’s cabinet 9 out of 22 were privately educated.