Prime Minister’s Online Questions
Gordon Brown has launched a new gimmick initiative - and an online one at that!
Politicians get a chance in prime ministers question time and other question times - I think it’s time the public had a chance.
We have until June 21st to submit questions. So we should all get on our webcams and submit questions to Gordo. When [and if] they will be answered, however, is not detailed. This apparently going to be a “regular event” - but how often? Once a week? Once a month? Once a quarter? Currently the details are so vague that there is nothing there to hold Brown to,
But, the thing is, which questions will he answer? The site says that he will respons to “the most popular questions submitted by the YouTube community.” But how is that to be measured? There doesn’t appear to be any voting mechanism on the “View” feature, and the videos there are shown by random. There’s also the question of whether a review/censorship procedure is in place as well…
However, this is quite a good idea. It’s different, even if a bit of a WebCameron-esque. Though WebCameron doesn’t have that questions facility any more [or most of the other interactive tools it used to]. Probably because people ask awkward questions, and online, you can’t avoid answering them - something which Gordo will soon realise. People get vitirolic online in a way they wouldn’t in person, and Gordo may well soon experience that.
Let’s make sure that we all ask the PM a question or five. And maybe we’ll get some answers. Though somehow I doubt it.
Update from Matt 9:30pm. I just did a spot for Radio 5 on this (yes, I know - I’m supposed to be on hiatus), which will be in the Pods and Blogs programme this evening. I’ll post it here as part of the usual Britblog podcast.
The mix of questions so far seems to be a mixture of the serious (”should we have drugs education in schools - like sex education, the fun poking “you have 180 videos on here; why when Youtube is a social community do you not allow comments on any of them”, and the hostile “I still want to know why you did not keep your promise and hold a referendum as you had promised”. There is also at least one which reviews Mr Brown’s video and offers advice on dressing fashionably.
It will all - in my view - depend on how he replies, and how seriously he takes it. A distinct communications channel only works in so far as you make something about it distinctive. If we get questions or press releases read out back it will fail; if we get a difference in tone or content, then there is potential.
Interestingly, a lot of the questioners are really quite young.
In the meantime, get on your webcams. Here are a few examples.
Looking at these the phrases “rod for his back” and “new astroturf pitch” come irresistably to mind.
Personally, I hope it works, but I think certain staff in Downing Street are not going to be grateful for this initiative, unless they do a statistical sample of questions.
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