Chris Huhne: why are Lib Dems so silent about Miliband’s £40,000k blog?
Two days later they are still strangely silent and I find this puzzling. According to Pandora, the discovery was made by Lib Dem MP Chris Huhne following a written question to Defra.
I have this evening looked at all the Lib Dem sites on Iain’s blogroll, not one of the 13 listed have breathed a word about it. I checked the two New Statesman New Media shortlisted Lib Dem MPs, Jo Swinson and Stephen Tall, surely they would be on the ball, be privy to some inside info to add to the debate. Nope.
Then I checked the whistle blower himself, Chris Huhne, I even did a word search on his site for “David Miliband blog”, but nothing came up. Yet Huhne was so concerned about this issue that he penned a letter which revealed the true cost and manpower involved.
David Miliband has been silent about it today too, despite the fact that the whole purpose of blogging is to promote honesty, openness and transparency.
There has also been quite a heated debate about this on Antony Mayfield’s site, and I just love Beau Bo D’Or’s creative artwork featured by Iain. eDemocracy has also headlined on it.
Surely the Lib Dems must have some fire in their belly, particularly after discovering a little juicy gem like this, what is the cause of their eerie silence?
Update 20th June 2006: Further discussion can be found on the Stuart Bruce blog. And more from Antony Mayfield.
Update 23rd June 2006: David Miliband’s response to the cost of his blog.
Good point, Ellee – where are the Lib Dems? Weird…
At least Chris is asking questions! (although I couldnt find the Miliband) one see my post http://www.geoffjones.com/2006/06/it-expenditure-at-deputy-prime-officer.html
I haven’t covered it for a number of reasons, 1 is I’m busy and can’t cover everything, 2 is I think Chris’s numbers are inflated 3 is I think that, while badly done, ministers blogging is a good idea. said so a few months back.
If he’s got two staff spending 40% of their time, which is what those figures are based on, then he (and they) are doing somethign very very wrong. I suspect it’s more likely, as the Pandora thing said, a lot less than that.
Essentially, I’ll concentrate on attacking the Govt for the stuff it’s pulling on civil liberties, status of Parliament, etc. A flawed, but well meaning, attempt to use technology to communicate better is something I’ll leave for others to critique – I’ve bigger fish to fry.
Besides, as Simon says in the eDemocracy post, they’ve spent serious money as a set up cost, and they’re monitoring it closely. I’d expect them to do that given that, if they can sort it out, the ideal would be all ministers blog (properly). Miliband, unfortunately, is dull as ditchwater; if he’d hosted it himself, he could actually do political stuff.
If a question is put in writing, then I assume the answer is given the same way, so there should be some documentary proof to substantiate the figures Chris Huhne quoted.
Maybe we chaps are more preumptious in assuming that whatever we might have to say is of interest to anyone else?
Right, have found it at TheyWorkForYou:
The Secretary of State writes his own blog. Two staff in Defra’s Communications Directorate—at Grade 7 and Higher Executive Officer grades—have integrated the blog into Defra’s website, and continue to oversee operation. For the two weeks following the recent ministerial changes, approximately 30 to 40 per cent. of their time was spent on work in some way connected to the blog. This is expected to decrease.
The blog promotes a new and more direct form of communication between the public and the Secretary of State.
Ergo, his figures are way off; ask the question during a start up or transition, so costs are highest, then turn that cost into an annual cost. Huhne’s good at playing with numbers it seems. He also seems to have something of an obsession with asking IT related questions.
Ergo, while it costs too much, the £40K figure is excessive and unrealistic as an analysis.
Matgb, thanks for the info and clarification, it’s very helpful. Chris Huhne certainly opened a can of worms with his statement to Pandora.
Of course it is great to get Ministers blogging, but we don’t want it to be another Ministerial post, the idea should be to get to know Miliband the man.
We all know how time consuming blogging is. Miliband might write his posts, but they are only a few sentences at the most. What is going to happen in the summer holidays when his communications staff is on holiday? Their input required to maintain his site is bound to have a detrimental impact on their other work.
I hope Miliband is asked the same question in a month’s time, in fact, he should prepare a monthly report on this as it is funded and maintained at the taxpayer’s expense.