back to article Nasty Toryboy bloggers ate my politics, claims Blears

Cynical, viciously nihilist bloggers are destroying British political culture, claims Communities Secretary Hazel Blears. And furthermore, she is due to say today in a speech to the Hansard Society, they're all Tories. "The most popular blogs are rightwing," claims Blears, "ranging from the considered Tory views of Iain Dale, …

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  1. Matt Kimber

    Really?

    No, Hazel, I'm sorry.

    The public disagree with you. The blogs are representative of the opinion of the public, or at least those who care enough about politics to write about it.

    You can bleat about nasty Tory conspiracies all you want, but sooner or later you're going to have to realise the truth. We don't want top-down control, we don't want social engineering, and we most certainly don't want ministers who dismiss our convictions as antiproductive irrelevances.

  2. Scott
    Thumb Down

    Bloggers

    So she'll have us all have Labour lobotomies soon so we all follow the party line?

    Lets be honest Blears the only thing the Labour goverments done for the working man is bring in minimum wage, oh and stuff up the economy so that everyone loses there job, well done McBrown on that one, oh and by the way Blears these are the people that you want to vote for you so you might want to play nice.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    And there was me thinking

    vicious, nihilist government was killing this country, but really it is the evil bloggers, telling it as it is. Oh yes the truth smarts doesn't it. 'Mainstream' is nearly ignored by most, or only dipped into, to judge what propaganda is being peddled.

    I blame technology it has made one generation far more astute then the previous generation who are holding office at the mo. The oldies have nothing to offer, only problems. They don't have the strength of wisdom because the world has changed too fast, and they have not kept up. By not keeping up they feel frustrated and lash out, odd state of affairs really.

  4. Gareth Jones Silver badge

    No Surprise

    It's part of Blairite policy and always has been. Blair took over the party by silencing, by all sorts of means, any disenting voices. And he carried on once he became PM. One of his more pathetic attempts at silencing criticism of the war in Iraq was to claim that anybody who criticized the war was criticizing British troops in Iraq. His more sinister efforts include having elderly hecklers arrested. Is it surprising that those who have grown out of his leadership should employ the same tactics?

    I've always compared it to the behaviour of a spoilt child. You know the sort of thing, covering their ears and singing loudly whenever anybody disagrees.

    The fact that the British publc repeatedly vote for a party that wants all debate to be banned really makes you wonder.

  5. ElFatbob

    Breaking news...

    >> "Until political blogging 'adds value' to our political culture, by allowing new voices, ideas and legitimate protest and challenge,"<<

    So, someone who doesn't swallow the shite NuLabour spouts does not have a legitimate protest or challenge?

    >> and until the mainstream media reports politics in a calmer, more responsible manner, <<

    Seems like the majority of any media 'hysteria' is Nulabour inspired.

    >> it will continue to fuel a culture of cynicism and despair." <<

    Now this made me laugh - not that their policies and general disdain for the people of Britain have anything to do with fueling such a culture....

    Tossers.

  6. Neil Hoskins
    Stop

    left/right?

    I don't understand how she can equate "anti-establishment" with "right wing", since the nu-labour establishment is further to the right than Atilla the Hun.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    it's called ...

    ... free speech, Blears, and you haven't banned it yet.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    "adds value"

    It isn't blogs that "(fuel) a culture of cynicism and despair" - it's Peter Mandelson, and politicians like him, and politicians in general, and indeed politics. But Peter Mandelson in particular. Not so much the reality of Peter Mandelson, but the idea of him. Guido Fawkes and Private Eye etc are not the source of the evil; they show us the evil, but they are not the source.

  9. Paul Johnston

    Political Blogs

    Does anyone actually read these blogs

    I had to look at some for some research and I think the word turgid comes to mind.

    I challenge anyone to look at Iain Dales Top 200 Political Blogs (I kid you not!)

    Curiously he enumerates them as

    • Out of the Top 100, 48 blogs are on the right and 30 are on the left.

    • The Top 100 features 27 Conservative blogs, 16 Labour and 10 LibDem

    • The Top 200 features 37 Conservative blogs, 33 Labour and 21 LibDem

    • The Top 500 features 105 Conservative blogs, 74 Labour and 56 LibDem

    • Of the Top 500, 170 are on the right and 268 on the left

    • 44 out of the Top 100 were not in last year’s Top 100.

    So not all right wing then Hazel?

  10. Mike Crawshaw

    @ og

    "It's called... free speech, Blears, and you haven't banned it yet."

    Yet. "Legitimate protest"? Sounds like we're heading that way. 2 + 2 = whatever NuLab says it does.

  11. Dave Gregory
    Thumb Up

    Ministry of Truth

    Unity has just posted a blog on this very rant of Blears'

    http://www.ministryoftruth.me.uk/2008/11/05/the-demented-ginger-weeble-squeaks/

    Now there's a guy who thoroughly deserves the Bloody Devil award he has, quite possibly for that title alone!

  12. Dave

    Dear Hazel

    Coming from the party that started a war or two, have taken bungs, and who still consider JacKKKKie Schmidt sane, I think you need to shut up now before you make yourself look even more stupid than the carrot topped shortarse you already are

  13. Shaun Rolph

    @Paul Johnston

    "Does anyone actually read these blogs"

    Mad Christians in wheelchairs, according to 'The Thick of It'. But my understanding is that they have more writers than readers.

  14. Sceptical Bastard
    Flame

    FFS!

    As a despairing, cynical, viscious nihilist, I wish the rat-like ginger bitch with her pinched little face and ghastly whiny accent would just FOAD.

    Hatred of this government is not a rightwing v leftwing issue - the criticism of the current corrupt and complacent regime springs from bipartisan public loathing for the slimy self-serving illiberal crypto-fascists (including dreary little Blears) who increasingly seek to repress and control us.

  15. Michael

    Today's walk...

    Details: http://bastardoldholborn.blogspot.com/2008/07/old-holborn-is-going-for-walk.html

    And seems like next year there'll be a lot more for the police to deal with if this crap from the govt continues....

  16. Adair Silver badge

    'Legitimate protest'...

    ...yes, I wonder who decides what that is?

  17. Luther Blissett

    Handbags at dawn, Hazel?

    See you there. With my rose tinted spectacles. And my size 50 shoes. I quite like to act my shoe size, y'know. And I can kick a hell of a lot further than a size 6. Shall I show you? (But you must promise not to tell. And you must put your tongue away afterwards).

  18. Brian

    Sei Ruhig, scheissliche Bloggern!

    Well, well - Neues Arbeit speaks it's small mind again.

    Another useless politician who has never done a real job (polytechnic - council solicitor - parliament in her case) speaking out about the dreadful nihilism of those who don't realise what a truly marvellous political class we have in this country today.

    With insignificant small-minded useless wastes of space like her being given ministerial positions, it's a wonder that the whole country hasn't imploded with existential angst at the whole Neues Arbeit project.

    Remember - Arbeit macht frei, but not Neues Arbeit - freedom is subject to the whims of the idiocracy.

  19. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Free Speech

    is what it's called and in a democracy it's allowed too. People are writing about how s*it the "government" is because the government *is* s*it. Opinions of free thinking people, not programmed drones.

    Regardless of political persuasion, if a government does something retarded then I will write about it and give it the kicking it deserves.

  20. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I trust them

    Just don't worry, once they pass the enabling law thingie we'll all be fine.

  21. Anonymous Coward
    Flame

    duh

    Nothing to do with the lying bastards spying on the entire population whilst chucking money away like it's going out of fashion.

    Of course, you should just ignore cynical people like me because it's all ok really.

  22. Graham Marsden
    Stop

    Dear Hazel Blears...

    "mostly, political blogs are written by people with disdain for the political system and politicians, who see their function as unearthing scandals, conspiracies and perceived hypocrisy"

    ... have you ever asked yourself *why* that should be?

    Possibly it's because people *do* have "disdain" for the political system and politicians like you who engage in scandalous behaviour, sneak through laws by conspiring with others and then make hypocritical comments about what "legitimate protest" should be whilst denying the people their right to legitimate protest without Police permission...!

    Try taking the log out of your own eye first.

  23. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    But you simply MUST agree with me!

    Otherwise, you are:

    right-wing,

    left-wing,

    radical,

    liberal,

    conservative,

    commie,

    paedo,

    unpatriotic

    and you:

    don't love your (country, troops, flag...)

    kick small puppies (or molest sheep)

    stir up trouble (by questioning ME!)

    and you:

    need to be controlled

    taxed

    fed appropriate "news"

    spied upon

  24. Martin Lyne

    We

    We so need a new party. This 2-horse shit-fest is long dead. To quote Anti-Flag (quite out of context) "A choice between shit and shit is still shit".

    I've not voted because I've never felt a representing voice, the Lib Dems being the closest but always giving off a sense of trying to prove themselves to be as good as the "big boys", which'll lead to them becoming the same most likely.

    Screw it though, they're getting my vote next time. To quote Bad Religion: "How could hell be any worse"? What'll happen? A recession? War? Repression? Ha!

    Also: Ms Blears. Fuck you. The "Violent Crime Reduction" Act re: Airsofting is a prime example of how the current regime would screw us all in thier never ending urge to legislate. Making a new law that mostly cripples a sport that was already covered by existing laws just so they could say "look, we aren't getting paid for nothing you know!"

    No, you're getting paid to put us all in prison (read: fine us) if we don't want to be bossed around by a system we never chose.

    I'm also marginally pissed that I accidentally completed Fallout 3. Thus bored.

  25. CA

    Miss Blears' fellows...

    "Perceived hypocrisy"? A "a culture of cynicism and despair"?

    Miss Blears should look at the people she employed to work for her if she wants to know about "hypocrisy" and what leads us to "cynicism".

    Back when she was standing to be Labour's deputy leader she had a certain Howard Dawber working on her team (http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/2007/02/hazel-blears/).

    Mr Dawber is, aside from being a failed MP and now a want-to-be MP, a somewhat inept Wiki-Fiddler who claims to be "an adviser to the Labour Party on internet campaigning".

    Look at the list of changes for Howard's page on Wikipedia:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Howard_Dawber&action=history

    Look into the other edits by the user at 217.196.238.6, who created the entry for Howard, and 82.35.39.58, who edited it.

    Compare the pages edited by those two addresses to the pages that Howard's Wikipedia user admits to contributing to as given here:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Howard_Dawber

    Notice any similarities? What are the chances of that then...

    So not only does it look like Howard Dawber anonymously created and edited his own Wikipedia entry (left to it's own devices I'm not sure there would be a page for him, a failed MP is hardly noteworthy) but he also edited the entry for Hazel Blears (using 82.35.39.58).

    Conflict of interest?

    And this is a man who advises the Labour party on the internet.

    If Hazel Blears wants to clean up the net then she should start with her own house and disown the dubious Howard Dawber.

  26. Chris G

    @ But you simply MUST agree

    I'm suspicious . How do you know so much about me?

    This Bleaahhgg! person is just like all the other twats in nullabour in believing that anyone who doesn't believe in their vision of Britain ( whatever that is today) must be some kind of semi- criminal dissenter with nothing valid or better to do.

    Freedom of speech? Oh that's some anti social thing we had in the bad old days before Blairism!

  27. Tim

    Champion of democracy?

    People being in disagreement with a government is a normal state of affairs. When you govern it should be government for all the people not just for those who elected you in the first place. Labour are quite rightly being judged on their behaviours, actions and results.

    Respect is earned. Everyone that has access to the net, can if they want express themselves on the net. A more open and straightforward politics is required, one where everybody can participate. The days of the focus group are over. Politicians need to engage with a much wider range of people and take proper account of their needs and wishes.

    UK politicians must learn from the presidential campaign run by Barack Obama. Real democracy is coming to the west, and it is the internet that is enabling this change. The power of the big media outlets owned by the rich and powerful few is waning. PR spin is becoming ineffective, partly through over use, but mainly as there are now numerous places on the net, where information can be examined and issues discussed freely away from media mogul control.

    The government does not have the right to control or silence those in opposition to their views. Champions of democracy should be protecting freedom of expression on the internet. Is Hazel Blears such a champion?

  28. Edwin
    Flame

    Blogger=Press?

    "mostly, political blogs are written by people with disdain for the political system and politicians, who see their function as unearthing scandals, conspiracies and perceived hypocrisy."

    Which, given that this is at least an arguable definition of what the press ought to do"

    Since when are bloggers press?

    I mean, the mean 'level' of journalism is low enough already - must it go down further?

    FFS - bloggers are NOT press!

  29. Michael Dunn
    Coat

    @og

    "it's called ...

    ... free speech, Blears, and you haven't banned it yet"

    But soon will!

    There's a ticket to somewhere democratic, Canada perhaps?, in the pocket.

  30. Chris
    Alert

    Got to admire her ability to say that with a straight face...

    "Blogs have only existed under a Labour government. Perhaps if there was a Tory government, all the leading blogs would be left-of-centre?"

    Is she seriously suggesting that there are people who think the Labour government is left of centre?

  31. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    @ Chris

    'Is she seriously suggesting that there are people who think the Labour government is left of centre?'

    Ah but that's the joy of New Labour. They talk (a lot) about 'moving the centre of British politics' to wherever it is that New Labour is camped out at any given time. The gutless rump of the Labour Party that is to the left of New Labour can then be given a Blearsian hug and called 'left-of-centre'. It's genius when you think about it; New Labour can move ever rightwards to appeal to the Daily Mail, call itself a centrist party AND mop up the Left Wing vote.

  32. Bob. Hitchen

    Words fail me

    WTF I thought this scumbag government was the pits when Bliar got elected and its been on a steep decline ever since. I presume this was a sort of comedy piece. Carrot sh*t for brains surely doesn't think we's cynical - I mean really who'd have thought it. I'm all for bringing in a right to bear arms and declaring open season on the vermin.

  33. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Blair's Babes

    Hazel is the cheerful chipmunk of NuLabour, ever optimistic and certain that all is for the best in this best of all worlds. If she stepped in a bucket of shit she would characterise her experience as an opportunity for further development, and promptly put her other foot in the bucket.

    Blears, Smith, Flint et al, are beneficiaries of the "Blair's Babes" phenomena which in the name of political correctness employed positive discrimination to promote them way above their level of competence.

  34. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Progress...

    Mr O'Brian once told his friend Winston:

    '...The command of the old despotisms was "Thou shalt not". The command of the totalitarians was "Thou shalt". Our command is "Thou art"....'

    We're well past stage one.

    The way NuLab is going, we're inching into stage two and careful observers report sightings of stage three in the distant horizon...

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