The Wardman Wire

Hazel Blears aka the chipmunk, is trying to blame bloggers for causing the culture of cynicism in British politics:

Perhaps because of the nature of the technology, there is a tendency for political blogs to have a ‘Samizdat’ style. The most popular blogs are rightwing, ranging from the considered Tory views of Iain Dale, to the vicious nihilism of Guido Fawkes. Perhaps this is simply anti-establishment. Blogs have only existed under a Labour government. Perhaps if there was a Tory government, all the leading blogs would be left-of-centre?

It’s quite possible that, yes, had the Conservatives been in power rather than Labour, the centre-left would have the leading/highest traffic-level blogs. But they do certainly have a better blogging community thing going.

But mostly, political blogs are written by people with disdain for the political system and politicians, who see their function as unearthing scandals, conspiracies and perceived hypocrisy.

Yes, and no. Bloggers tend to have little respect for politicians as a whole, who are our representatives and as such we expect them to be sleaze-free. Only those politicians who have scandals to unearth, who make conspiracies, and are hypocrites have anything to worry about from bloggers.

The political system, however, is respected - except where it makes no sense or we can improve. However, bloggers tend to be democrats, not as in Lib Dems but in actual democrats. We respect the principle of democracy and its practice.

Until political blogging ‘adds value’ to our political culture, by allowing new voices, ideas and legitimate protest and challenge, and until the mainstream media reports politics in a calmer, more responsible manner, it will continue to fuel a culture of cynicism and despair.

Political blogging does allow new voices, ideas and legitimate protest and challenge into the political system. That is what it is best at. Blogging allows and encourages everyone to participate in the political process - anyone can start a blog for free using any number of platforms!

Blogging encourages particopation in the political process. Without blogging, I wouldn’t be anywhere near as politically active or engaged. I had in fact become bored with politics until I started blogging.

Hazel Blears is entirely wrong that political blogging doesn’t “add value”. It does, just not necessarily in the way she thinks it should.

It isn’t bloggers who are fueling !a culture of cynicism and despair”, but politicians - primaily career politicians, who Blears does indeed attack [unfortunately ignoring that she is one of them]. It is them who cause the lack of political engagement in Britain and prevent people from getting involved. If politicians weren’t mired in sleaze every time we turn around, maybe we wouldn’t have a culture of cynicism. And if we didn’t see the government constantly trying to take away our freedoms, maybe we wouldn’t live in despair.