Blogging MPs

Tim of Bloggerheads has been running a long term effort to get more MPs blogging. His two pin up succeses so far are Boris Johnson (con) and Tom Watson (lab). Today he posted some interesting thoughts on their search results.

While achieving the kind of popular exposure Tim talks about is probably what drew the two MPs he's worked with into this in the first place I think the benefit to their constituents and democracy as an institution is much more important. Dialogue and openness are things which many people complain are missing from contemporary politics, blogging is one way to put them back.

Commenting on Tony's blog a few days back I noted that cynicism in American politics has now reached the level where seemingly innocuous statements are open to all kinds of interpretations. Blogs may be one way to cut through this kind of noise.

As the general election draws closer I'd like to see MPs from all sides take up their keyboard every now and then. Of course given the blogosphere's tendency toward conflict and vendetta you could argue this will just make what looks like it's going to be a nasty, personal election worse. If it does at least we can hope that those slinging the mud will be clearly visible...