I think its a good idea and there are already some interesting
contributions to the site and I'm going to try and write something
there every so often.
They say:
If you are interested in becoming one of News Shopper's team of
bloggers, you will need to submit a regular column airing your opinions
on what's happening in the news or sharing aspects of your life.
You can write about stories you have read on News Shopper's
website or you can pick a particular issue close to your heart. You can
write about work, school, hobbies - in fact, anything you like.
There are not really any requirements, other than to keep your blog interesting.
The BBC have been asking whether politics is "Going to the Blogs?" The programme appears to be more serious - as you'd expect from the Analysis team - than the title.
The thing that struck me listening to the programme was how the shape
of the debate kept coming back to whether bloggers can influence the
outcomes of elections by being partisan in the cause of one party or
idea over another. What didn't really get explored was whether it
changes the nature of the debate with politicians between elections,
whether it helps improve accountability, or develops an opportunity for
nuanced discussion rather than megaphone or sound bite politics.
I'm not sure about the answer to that myself, but it's early days...
(via Will, who takes part in the debate with his usual, and serious, scepticism about some of the claims of some of the evangelists.)
Andrew has noticed that Audrey Callaghan who died recently represented Lewisham at a number of levels:
Audrey Callaghan restarted her own political career in 1959, when
she was 46, when she was elected as a Labour member for Lewisham for
the London County Council. She was rapidly co-opted on to the
children's committee, and set herself the task of inspecting LCC
children's homes, looking into all the dark corners, talking to staff
and children, and arriving back at County Hall with a list of
recommendations after each visit.
She was an alderman of the Greater London Council from 1964 and,
when the GLC was abolished in 1968 and its duties divided among the
London boroughs, she became chairman of Lewisham Council's children's
committee.
I'm sure that Andrew's request that the Council remembers her service will be well met.
As one of the people who is covering the children's brief on the council at the moment - while Katy is on maternity leave - and who has taken a keen interest in children's
services over my time on the Council, I can only say that the technique
that Lady Callaghan adopted (of talking to the children we care for)
remains the most important technique of telling whether what we're
doing is working or not.
I've just been up to an Internet café in Brick Lane to be interviewed about councillors blogs along with Louise.Royal Trux on the
stereo, which did take me while to work out. I was never a huge fan, but did get a few of their albums on the
back of Neil Hagerty's involvement in Pussy Galore,
who I do have a soft spot for.
My message about politicians blogs is the same as usual; that blogs are just another
way of talking to people, a little less effective than doing it face to face, or
delivering something through the door [in some ways].But maybe better for those who want a more
in-depth discussion about their local area and priorities.After all where else are we going to discuss
the council's
budget, Starbucks
and planning in Blackheath Village, or the merits
of 80's pop?
But really the audiences for blogs remain tiny, and for
councillors' blogs are minute (though perfectly formed, of course).
Will that change?
My upbeat assessment is that it helps me to have the
feedback I get, I enjoy the process of writing the blog and I hope it shines a
small light on what’s going on inside the council.
My downbeat view is that blogging changes very little, most
people are (quite properly) not that interested in what I do on a day to day
basis, and won’t necessarily find the blog the most convenient way of engaging
with me.Blogs are just a medium for
communication and not a panacea to more deep rooted issues about political
engagement.
Anyway, the DVD is supposed to convince councils and
councillors of the benefits of e-democracy and will be out in the world through
the Local E-democracy National Project. Whether Louise and I make a convincing case may depend on the edit.
It looks like the nearest scheme is in Lambeth, which is a bit of a
trek for someone without a car (like me), especially as you can't take paint on
the bus. I might talk to some of the people who've been telling
me about their plans for re-use schemes to see if they're interested in
this sort of thing, or see if we can do a deal to collect the paint at Landmann Way.
Cllr Andrew Brown
80%
