lord of the blog

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Sunday, September 24, 2006

The future of this blog

Andrew Price (supported by Andrew Baker) wonders if I have joined the pipe, slippers and cognac brigade. Not yet Andrew! But it is the case that I am still working out where I can make my best contributions in the future.

Theoretically I am retired in that I am a pensioner of a noble 67 years! Like many pensioners however giving up all together is not too attractive. The pipe and slippers are not yet at the door (but if you know of a good cognac please let me know!).

There was a period towards the end of my time in the Commons when my work as an MP was winding down so helping to put political blogs on the map seemed a good idea. I think I was the third or fourth MP in the field but blogging MP's are now more common.

A blog from the Lords is also quite useful and so I suppose is my alleged senior politician/statesman role. But I am not sure that I want to keep the blog going at the past rate.

There is an element of pipe and slippers in that I enjoy walks in the countryside and doing some of the things I never had time for before. I can even cook the dinner for my family now – good healthy food (sometimes). And yes, Andy I like the idea of a health “bar” marker on foods and I hear your plea to head up the Quango!

Putting it into current jargon my work/life balance is changing. My work in the Lords is increasing as it was bound to do and I run two charities – the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal ( http://www.maryseacole.com/maryseacole/pages/ ) and the Arab-Jewish Forum. Both take up a fair bit of time. I also have my part time role as Campaign Director of Future Heathrow (www.futureheathrow.com) which will continue for a few more months or until the middle of next year when the future of the airport will be decided.

I shall probably start writing articles again soon. In fact I have just finished one for the Muslim News on the issue of the struggle for the future of Islam. They tell me they intend to publish it soon so I will also put it on this blog. Other articles on various issue will follow soon.

So my dilemma is this: Do I just put my contributions in the Lords (extracted from Hansard) on this blog along with any articles I write and occasional comments on current political issues? That will inevitably mean far less frequent postings. Or do I accept that my blogging career is over and arrange a champagne funeral for it? Or is there a third way! If so what is it?

So this born again atheist puts his future in the hands of the great blogosphere in the sky. Oh great and wise bloggers - guide me to a better future. Show me the light and the way!

I don't know about anyone else, but I'd really enjoy reading some posts about life in the Lords. One of my (many) criticisms of the House is the lack of accountability and transparency and, like the vast majority of people in this country, I don't know what you lot get up to! Today in Parliament offers some insights, but I'd like to learn a bit more, beyond Hansard.

Don't give up the blog altogether, why not a balance between links to your articles, some interesting stuff from Hansard (though, I beg you, not just a cut-n-paste job: the Hansard texts are unbearable), plus some 'exclusive' opinion pieces/funny observations. There must be loads of gossip you could share...

An amusing and typically 'you' post, thanks, it made me chuckle as well as informed.

While I understand your desire to wish to put your feet up a little after a life of political grind, and I can't honestly say I would not do the same in your position, I for one would miss, in fact do miss, the cut and thrust of debating with someone who has at least some hold on the steering wheel(s) of power.

While you were my MP, the blog was a direct route for your constituents to debate ...erm, directly. Now it has morphed into a direct route to a person who is part of the check and balance we have in our democracy.

It is a very powerful tool imv.

I've been debating over the internet for just over 5 years, and while it can be addictive and very time consuming if you answer each post separately, you managed to find a (good) way (imv) of answering most, and in a manner which I don't think took too much time (?).

With new technologies coming out all the time, I do think that 'dead time' you may find you have could be used to continue at a similar pace, however that is your call, and I respect it whatever you choose.

One thing I would like to ask though is that you cajole (if you can't command) my new MP ( Andrew Slaughter)to set up a blog like yours.

You paved a way that does not seem to have been followed and that really annoys me as I view it as a step back for my local democracy.

I don't think simply cutting and pasting Hansard is a way forward, we can go to Hansard ourselves to view what you say quite easily, and I hope cutting and running is not an option you are seriously considering.

So, the third way would be, imv, to utilize technology:

download your blog so you can read comments when you find yourself with 5 mins to spare;

get a device that has voice recognition software so you can dictate replies in that little spare time you may have, and use said device to simply (and it is simple when set up) upload your comments.

If you need help choosing a device and perhaps a little training on how to use it, let me know, I am at your service as you have been at ours.

Regs, Andy

Clive (sir),

Infrequent, rare, or even less I find it commendable that you take the time from your schedule to answer the points we raise (if not always to our satisfaction!).

It's been fun reading your thoughts and nice being able to bounce mine off of yourself and fellow readers, so if you do decide to give the blog up there's one thing that would be really great:

Recruit a replacement within your ranks. There are, I know, a lot of politicians with blogs now, but a lot seem to use them diferently to you and it would be nice to have something similar to what you have.

Maybe we've been spoilt, but it would be wonderful for another backbench MP or member of the Lords to welcome your readership!

Don't stop the blog. What you write is only part of the it. Comments by others has value too. Keep going with Hansard excerpts and the occasional comment and leave it to others (i.e. readers) to decide if it dies or not. I've appreciated the openness of this blog over the last couple of years and although the move to the Lords has changed the nature of the blog, it hasn't diminished it.

You're taking yourself too seriously. Blogging is just you saying what you think when you are in the mood. Just do that. No more, no less and we can then share all of your years of experience in an occassional pithy blog.
Keep going sunshine

Hello Clive, I've just finished watching Tony Blair's speech live on television. If it turns out to be his final speech at a Labour party conference, I shan't be voting for Labour, a party that saw fit to drive out the best prime minister this country has ever had. Gordon Brown, and the rest of the Labour party responsible for pulling down Tony Blair and his family are a disgrace to themselves and this country. Their behaviour, particularly Gordon Brown's, over so many years now has turned me off politics for good. Mr Blair and his family still have much to give. I can only hope they and their most loyal colleagues start a revolutionary new party that focuses on green issues and takes politics into a never seen before arena.

If you have retired, then why maintain a place in the House of Lords? The upper chamber should not be a retirement home nor should its purpose be to reward party donors. It is a legislative chamber. If you don't want to work as a full-time legislator, then you should leave the legislature and concentrate on your charity work. The time for an elected upper house is long overdue.

It also strikes me as odd that you are not nearly as analytical in your blog as you are in the media. Why is that?

I'd be sorry if you decided to give up blogging completely Clive. I know it's time consuming and appreciate that you can do without having to moderate the defamatory and even deranged comments that are the grafitti of the blogosphere from those people who merely wish to cast insults and bile rather than engage in meaningful dialogue.

I second Paul's comment that your blog serves a somewhat different purpose to those of most politicians. Even when you were an MP you seemed to be more interested in using the blog to float ideas and issues than partisan point scoring, or purely local concerns. Don't get me wrong, I know you are tribally Labour and make allowance for the fact. I can also see a purpose in using a blog to make clear the volume and range of work that conscientious constituency MPs do.

May I suggest that if you don't have the time yourself, you consider following te examples of Harry Hatchet and others by recruiting some of your fellow peers, make this a group blog and call yourselves Lords of the Blogosphere ...

Don't finish the blog, please. You can always recycle material you write for other publications; use it as a scratchpad for ideas that don't have any other home; focus more on posts that are more personal as a break from the more overtly political; and so on. It's good to see substantive blogs from active (if semi-retired!) politicians, and I think the quality of comments reflects that as well.

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