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Blogging Government

Fco1

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that David Miliband (our youthful-looking Foreign Minister) has started his own blog. Not only that, it’s part of a wider initiative by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office which incorporates no less than 6 new blogs including:

Jim Murphy (Minister for Europe)
Lindsay Appleby (First Secretary, Brussels Office)
Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles (great name)…ambassador to Afghanistan
Maria Pia Gazella… a Trade and Investment officer at the British Embassy in Santiago, Chile
Sarah Russell…a new graduate entrant

Mr Miliband summarises the intention behind the initiative as to "show more of the enormous range of interesting, and challenging, work we do and why we do it." Lord knows what they’re opening themselves up for but I think it’s rather admirable that they are trying to reach out to the public in this way. I noticed they’ve also got a Foreign Office Flickr group from which this image (of Miliband addressing staffers) is taken.
Hat tip to

8 responses to “Blogging Government”

  1. giL Avatar
    giL

    Gee Neil. that is really very very neat. I am really glad for you to be living in a reasonable country.
    come to think of it, why wouldn’t ministers have their blog? aren’t they working for us? they are so they can use this as a very convenient way to report us. Only problem is I am afraid ministers in my country are still at stone age.
    What a bummer.

  2. giL Avatar
    giL

    Gee Neil. that is really very very neat. I am really glad for you to be living in a reasonable country.
    come to think of it, why wouldn’t ministers have their blog? aren’t they working for us? they are so they can use this as a very convenient way to report us. Only problem is I am afraid ministers in my country are still at stone age.
    What a bummer.

  3. Neil Perkin Avatar
    Neil Perkin

    Sorry to hear that Gil. Interesting though how this opens up all kinds of new ways for government to interact with the electorate.

  4. Neil Perkin Avatar
    Neil Perkin

    Sorry to hear that Gil. Interesting though how this opens up all kinds of new ways for government to interact with the electorate.

  5. Curly Avatar
    Curly

    It’s a very anodyne heavily edited blog which will not countenance too much criticism, by any reasonable standard it is not what the rest of us would view as being open, interactive, or full of candour!

  6. Curly Avatar
    Curly

    It’s a very anodyne heavily edited blog which will not countenance too much criticism, by any reasonable standard it is not what the rest of us would view as being open, interactive, or full of candour!

  7. Neil Perkin Avatar
    Neil Perkin

    Point taken Curly, but I do think they should be applauded for any steps taken in this direction

  8. Neil Perkin Avatar
    Neil Perkin

    Point taken Curly, but I do think they should be applauded for any steps taken in this direction

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