eDemocracy Update

Downing Street starts twittering

Following on from Alan Johnson’s use of Twitter for his deputy leadership campaign two new additions to the growing Twitterati are Downing Street and Lib Dem MP Lynne Featherstone.

I wonder how long before having a Twitter stream is a key part of political communications.

It was only a couple of years ago that blogging MPs were a rare commodity.

It ‘ll probably be quite a while yet though. I spoke to a client’s government relations manager recently about how he communicates with MPs and Peers. His reply was: “Mostly by phone or letter…. Although some are starting to now use email.”

Technorati tags: Twitter, Downing Street, Lynne Featherstone

A Youtube? On the interweb?

However, the best quotation comes from Conservative MP, Andrew Robothan, who - showing the Tories cutting edge credentials - told BBC Online that:

"There is a site called YouTube on the net and you can listen to the video. "I reckon I can hear 'what' being said."

Bless. Read the full story via the BBC.

Miliband, british foreign policy and the internet

Things have been quiet around here of late - but work has been busy and I've writing some bits and pieces for  other sites.

My main PR blog has some thoughts about modern and post-modern ideology and the effect of the internet on politics and society:

• Introduction
• Part 1 - Politics
• Part 2 - Economy

I've also just published the first in a series of essays about british foreign policy under David Milband, progressive intervention and the internet over at e-International Relations.

The essay attempts to put Miliband's idea of a civilian surge into a theoetical framework and assess its full impact on global democracy. It's full title is: The Civilian Surge: Liberal Foreign Policy, Intervention and the Internet and can be access here.

Technorati tags: politics, theory, David Miliband, british foreign policy