Via Norm, The Times reports that David Milliband is apparently going to “set up a web log in which he will publish views that go beyond his ministerial brief.”
Given that this is likely to encroach on the territory of other ministers, and – if it’s to have any value at all – horrify civil servants too, the chances are that it’ll never happen. The first two series of Yes Minister, that I have been devouring over the past week or so in DVD form, tell me this. Would be interesting if it happened, if he wrote it himself, and if he really wasn’t constrained.
Miliband, who at 40 is one of the younger Blairite ministers, has taken up internet technology before and has participated in online chats on the Labour party’s site.
The Internet’s been mainstream in the UK for a dozen or more years, but if one senior government politician can make his first few faltering steps, then we should be thankful for small mercies.
Update: Harry’s Place has this, too.
Well I’m sure we all should welcome ministerial blogging. But I rather fear things will soon be under the dead cosh of Whitehall.
I imagine we’ll all be given Blogging Targets with which to comply (with a National Blog Inspectorate) then a new Blogging Tax Credit will be phased in (to encourage the digitally disadvantaged), followed by a Blog Identity Card Scheme (but the innocent will have nothing to fear).
Besides, how interesting can a ministerial blog be? (”Got up; Praised Heaven that Gordon is still among us on Earth; Weather very good, in fact 5.6 percent better, year on year, since 1997; Established three new initiatives for social inclusion, and re-announced seventeen old ones; Had breakfast…)
Beware, dear boy, what you wish for, lest it be granted.