It nearly disappeared into the ether a month ago, but over the last couple of days Lib Dem Voice has proved its worth.
I’ve been reading Lib Dem blogs almost daily for over a year now, the excellent LibDemBlogs.org.uk makes it so easy, with Lib Dem Voice as my first destination. Although several Lib Dem MPs write excellent blogs, Lynne Featherstone, John Hemming and Steve Webb to name just a few, I had never seen a Lib Dem MP post a comment on a blog other than their own. (CORRECTION: Jeremy Hargreaves has informed me Ming commented on his blog back in June. My overall point remains valid though.)
That all changed this week. On Tuesday, Lynne Featherstone posted a comment on a story about Ken Livingstone on Lib Dem Voice. As a former member of the London Assembly Lynne is uniquely placed to comment on Mayor Livingstone. Lynne’s typically adventurous foray into the blogosphere illuminated the discussion and was pleasantly surprising. It was fantastic to come across a Lib Dem MP willing to take part in the online conversation.
I was therefore even more suprised and delighted when I saw Ed Davey, Ming Campbell’s Chief of Staff and the party’s campaigns chief, was the first to comment on Stephan Tall’s LDV story, Lib Dems to join Brown cabinet?
Clearly, this was a major political story. It dominated the BBC’s political coverage all day, drawing comment on the Daily Politics, Newsnight and Nick Robinson’s blog.
Ed’s comment, made at 9:09 am, which must have been posted almost as soon as Stephen’s article appeared, is an important sign of the importance the Lib Dem hierarcy places on the blogosphere. As recently as 6 months ago, a source within the Lib Dems’ Cowley Street HQ confirmed Lib Dem MPs do not receive a review of the blogosphere as part of their media briefings. Evidently Ed or a member of his staff are checking LDV regularly.
Ed’s rapid rebuttal was sharp and to the point:
For the record, there is no prospect of any Liberal Democrat joining the Brown Government.
He was obviously extremely angry, just like many Lib Dems are, that such a story made the front page of a national newspaper.
Putting the political dimension to one side, it was great to read such a passionate response on a blog that has built a strong Lib Dem community. Similar rebuttal statements can often be found in the MSM, but it’s so much more meaningful when a senior member of the party speaks directly to the Lib Dem community. Ed did himself enormous credit with this comment and immediately set the firm tone of the party’s response to this story. The opening line of the following comment is testament to this:
Phew - long winded comment narrowly averted by Ed’s response. Well done Ed.
In the comments that followed, not one gave the story any credit. Yes, the story still received significant coverage in the MSM, but those who read Ed’s comment immediately set about defending the party. Stories titled The Guaridan Talks Rot, Morally Bankrupt Guardian shows that it is no guardian of free speech and high political values, Liberals resist headless chicken hysteria at “bums on seats” story, Do we really worry the other parties that much?, A cosy consensus, , Cabinet seats and spin and More Guardian tripe appeared on Lib Dem blogs. Even Tory blogger Iain Dale was forced to admit the story had
all the hallmarks of Labour spin.
It would be a bit of a stretch to suggest everyone who posted a story or commented on The Guardian’s erroneous reporting read Ed’s comment, but it certainly helped.
This is a significant development for the Lib Dem blogosphere and for the party. I sincerely hope that more Lib Dem MPs begin engaging with the community of Lib Dem bloggers. The community is active and vibrant, full of ideas and energy and research in the US demonstrates bloggers are some of the most influential members of society. Well done to Lynne and Ed. It’s now time for all Lib Dem MPs to get involved.
UPDATE: Steve Webb MP has now posted a comment over at LDV, Paddy turned down N.Ireland; MPs angry at ‘elderly Scots.’
Ming himself actually posted a comment on a blog post I wrote about him, and his relationship with party conference:
http://www.jeremyhargreaves.org/blog/?p=42
Sorry about that Jeremy. It’s a decent comment, very human. I have added a correction to my original post.
My overall point is still valid though. Ed’s rapid online response was the sharpest we’ve seen from a senior Lib Dem. It’s great that Ed is reading Lib Dem blogs, but all our MPs should be. As members of the Lib Dem blogging community, we should be lobbying for our MPs to receive a review of the blogosphere as part of their media briefings and to read and interact with the Lib Dem blogosphere more often.
Hi yes, I agree with the general point you are making. Certainly you are right that Ed Davey’s instant response on the original story was striking (and also very helpful!).
I don’t have any evidence for this claim but I suspect that Lib Dem Blogs are more widely read among MPs then we know. I think it’s inevitable that people in their position are going to be less likely to comment than they are to read them - and indeed that’s typical of blog readers generally, only a tiny minority of whom comment.
I guess they can realise as well as anyone else that it’s an easy and reasonably interesting (and painless!) way of seeing what others in the party are thinking.
As Leader Paddy Ashdown supposedly spent quite a lot of time reading CIX and responding on it, and used it as a way of taking the temperature of the party outside Westminster. And although I didn’t follow it particularly closely, Peter Black AM seemed to blog fairly constantly through the recent negotiations on the future of the Welsh Assembly government.
Having said that, however, I’m sure that people in Westminster also bear in mind, as we always should, that Lib Dems who blog represent the views of one part of the party outside Westminster, but will not be typical of all elements of it.