Comments on: Before the Defection Rumours Start…

By: Dan

Dan — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Well, looking at your blog, it is not obvious that you are a Liberal Democrat. Are you ashamed?

By: Iain Dale

Iain Dale — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

You’re lucky. I was described as the Tory Candidate for Norwich North. The first bit’s right, but I’m the candidate in North Norfolk, although I’m sure Norman Lamb would rather I wasn’t… Good blog, by the way!

By: Dick Robinson

Dick Robinson — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Good to see that both you and Clive have already published such elegant ripostes. By the way, the article IS published on The Guardian’s website (without corrections so far), at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/online/story/0,3605,1270818,00.html
We have also linked to it from the Working for an MP website (www.w4mp.org) today.

By: Richard Allan

Richard Allan — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Mulling over Dan’s comment I see that my blog does not have Lib Dem branding on it, though it is clear I am a Lib Dem from lots of the posts on it. Is this because I am ashamed, he asks? Not really, but it was a deliberate design decision. I felt that the site would be more interesting as the comments of an elected representative who happens to be a member of a party rather than putting the party stuff to the front. Maybe I have taken this “stealth politics” approach too far to the confusion of our colleagues in the press.

By: Dan

Dan — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Perhaps just one, wee link to the Liberal Democrats site would help clear up the confusion, without making the weblog look overtly party political. I wonder how Sean Dodson and the subs at the Guardian are feeling now that they have probably been given a good hiding by the editor. Not meaning to be rude, Richard Allan is not exactly the most famous parliamentarian, but marking Clive Soley – a widely respected Labour grandee – down as a Liberal Democrat is simply stupid.

By: Andy Salridge

Andy Salridge — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Despite the mistakes in that article, it is good to see more MPs being encouraged to blog.

Plus I am happy to see GidleyWatch getting a passing reference in the press.

By: Tim

Tim — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

It gets better; now the BBC has you down for Labour as well:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3936573.stm

C’mon, Richard. You can’t fight the inevitable.

(One of us. One of us. One of us. One of us.)

By: Neil

Neil — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

You are quite right. Preaching to the converted is not the purpose.

By: Pippa

Pippa — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

I think you’re right for it not to be an overly party political blog. It would certainly turn me off, as a person who is very interested in politics and the political process, but have very little time for party politics.

If your site was full of Lib Dem stuff I would see it as purely a promotional tool and I would not bother reading. As it is, I see it as fairly informative and more genuine.

Pippa

By: thankyoutony

thankyoutony — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

8678 you can thank Tony Blair for the war in iraq here:
http://www.thankyoutony.com/messages.html