Comments on: New Labour: from spin to social?

By: Social media - the haters and the lovers » pr-media-blog.co.uk

Social media - the haters and the lovers » pr-media-blog.co.uk — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 08:25:49 +0000

[…] it be the use of social media in politics or in business, there seems to be sharp divide between those who think it’s the earthly […]

By: Phil

Phil — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 07:55:39 +0000

“But she also laments the growth of what she describes as “right wing blogs”: “I would be quite depressed if we had need for a Guido Fawkes on our side. The difficulty with blogs like that, and Iain Dale’s, is that they are not elected politicians ”

She should take a long hard look at the Cabinet and tell me how many are actually elected politicians!!!!!

Ah the irony!

By: Ben L

Ben L — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 15:58:09 +0000

I agree with the comments above, re Kerry McCarthy’s tweets; fact is they are rarely engaging and often childish. Using Twitter to bombard people with party messages is surely a waste of time - you are simply duplicating content without adding anything original or noteworthy to the conversation. Barnsley Cllr Tim Cheetham is a much better example of a leftwing politician who seems to ‘get’ Twitter and what it can be used for.

And whatever your thoughts about Dale or Guido (I am a Labour supporter) at least they say something interesting from time to time.

By: John Eastwood

John Eastwood — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 13:33:47 +0000

Its funny the left haven’t yet twigged the (pretty obvious) solution to Gudio.

If they didn’t lie, refrained from passing silly laws, stopped breaking their own silly laws, and weren’t in it mostly to feather their own nests, then Guido would have nothing to write about.

By: Mistakes and microblogging | Alastaire Allday - Branding and Copywriting Agency

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 12:28:26 +0000

[…] This post, linked to by Guido Fawkes simply as “Twitter Tsar Talks Tosh” on PR-media-blog.co.uk, sums up a lot about what’s right and wrong with Twitter. Skip to the end: Labour is experimenting with different social media activities, including a way of using Twitter to make grass roots activists feel more included… […]

By: Stuff I’ve Shared on Twitter 27.09.09 « The Seldom Seen Kid

Stuff I’ve Shared on Twitter 27.09.09 « The Seldom Seen Kid — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 11:54:04 +0000

[…] Can You Still Build a Profitable Blog? New Labour: from spin to social? The Wisdom of the Crowds? Enough Already About Charging For Content: How To Make The Free Model […]

By: David Bouvier

David Bouvier — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 08:12:50 +0000

And Kerry’s comments are a fine example of the kind of spin that makes people:

Step 1: Gloss over McBride “we don’t need to stoop” ignoring that Brown’s personal attack dogs have been chewing up anyone who gets in their way across the Labour party for a decade, just as New Labour tried to smear innocents who got in their way (like David “Walter Mitty character” Kelly to name but one). Smearing is deep in Labour’s political DNA. So no McBride was not just a slip - they just got caught.

Step 2: Try to position Guido as part of a united Tory front of sinister “right wing” media. Guido is a libertarian maverick - not a party hack, and anyway can look after himself.

But lets dig a bit: Would Kerry prefer that the Labour sleaze Guido exposed had remained hidden? (is that “increasing transparency and accountability”.

Are mere civilians or activists (”not elected politicians”) not be allowed to comment on our political masters. Heaven forbid alternative media builds up a reputation and any power. Labour would rather keep the individual weak in the face of state power, and ask us focus group questions.

An interesting slip: Kerry explains that Labours control of “the message” in 1997 is impossible now because “there is more chance that truth will come out”. e.g. Kerry admits: LABOUR WOULD LIKE TO LIE; OUR PROBLEM NOW IS THAT WE GET FOUND OUT. Not sure you meant to say that Kerry, but yeah thats about right isn’t it. No wonder you all hate Guido so much.

And she then co-opts the cross-party work of a charitable organisation as if it is Labours. Tell us Kerry is this nothing special about Labour, or should the charity commission be looking at the IPPRs status.

Back to the spin: Step 4 - Patronise the Tories: the Tories can’t handle social media because “it will be the mavericks and wilder elements of the party that stand out” - like Iain Dale, Dan Hannan, or non-party “right wingers” like Guido. So very different from the web then?.

In short what a disengenuous pile of tosh. Labour still wants to “get the message out”. If it listened to society they would call a general election and hope for mercy.

By: David

David — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 19:11:37 +0000

I was a keen young activist. I left the Labour Party when the likes of Kerry took over. Twenty years later I am a member of LPUK, and my class consciousness is as acute as ever. As it always was, it is the looted (us) against the looters (them).

By: steve steve

steve steve — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 18:47:18 +0000

I have visite this womans twitter site and found it full of juvinille comments about the big bad Tories and how they will eat your children. Is that the best she can do ? Mature debate it aint ! She should get herself a real job in the real world.

By: Chris

Chris — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 16:33:44 +0000

“I would be quite depressed if we had need for a Guido Fawkes on our side. The difficulty with blogs like that, and Iain Dale’s, is that they are not elected politicians and they would be held up to certain standards if they were. We haven’t got sites spreading smears about people.”

Sorry, you’ll have to remind me again - who was it that voted for Mandelson?