The dangers of blogging
I know I've banged on about politicians and political parties blogging, but there are also dangers inherent in it as has been proved today.
Labour's head of ethics in Liverpool Louise Baldock has escaped punishment for calling Lib Dems and Liberals "opportunistic b******s" on her blog.
Although the Standards Board for England gae her a slap on the wrist and warned her remarks could give a "negative impression" and the comments were "gratuitously offensive".
It also said it was part of the cut and thrust of politics.
In previous posts I've celebrated Cllr Baldock's blog, and I do hope that she nor others are not put off by this episode.
In time honoured fashion Cllr Baldock has apologised "to anyone who took offence" on her blog.
Nonetheless it should act as a warning to us all to think twice before getting carried away with a keyboard.
On another note, Cllr Baldock is the seventh councillor in Liverpool in recent memory to have been reported to the Standards Board.
Others on the roll are:
Labour leader Joe Anderson
Liverpool Council leader Warren Bradley
Deputy Lord Mayor (ex-council leader) Mike Storey
Former Lib Dem chief whip Steve Hurst
Deputy council leader Flo Clucas
Liberal leader Steve Radford
Apart from Steve Radford (who is awaiting the outcome of his investigation) the Standards Board has deemed that no action needed to be taken in any of the cases.
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David Bartlett
City editor of the Post and Echo covering politics, regeneration, and urban affairs.
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Well Malcolm, you are right that the Standards Board are used as an opportunistic political weapon. What you forget to mention is that the principal knife wielder is in fact your own leader Joe Anderson.
Over the years Joe has made pathetic time wasting complaints against almost every Liberal Democrat Councillor.
His complaints just about me have included:-
- Publishing an unflattering picture of him on an election leaflet
- Calling for a meeting to discuss post office closures
- And for allegedly taking a photograph in the Council Chamber
Not surprisingly the standards board have thrown out every one of his complaints (against me and everyone else) and probably now just dismiss him as a malicious time waster. You can only imagine what he must have been like in the playground!
It's interesting that no Liberal Democrat could be bothered reporting Cllr Baldock for any of her childish rants.
What fine councillors we have! Cllr Makinson seems to want to play the "but Sir, but Sir, it was him Sir" card.
As for this latest episode, it is all very childish - none more so than from the councillor reporting it. I read it and laughed that anyone could take offence. Seems this Cllr Radford is very thin-skinned.
There are a number of social networking sites and I'm particularly fond of twitter. However, when I follow conversations and see strong language I delete/unfollow anybody swearing. These people are mostly strangers. If I were a politician and a political opponent on their blog refered to me as a b*****d, I would be up in arms. How stupid, disrespectful and out of touch they must be to even consider that that is acceptable. Would I vote for them in an election? I think not. Rgds Vince