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| MPs warned to avoid hasty blogs | MPs warned to avoid hasty blogs |
| (about 20 hours later) | |
| By Emma Griffiths BBC political reporter, at the Labour Party conference | By Emma Griffiths BBC political reporter, at the Labour Party conference |
| The next generation of Labour MPs has been warned to be careful about what they write on blogs and websites like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube - as comments made in haste remain on the internet forever. | |
| At a packed fringe meeting hosted by Google at the Labour conference, activists and prospective and current MPs were told of the benefits of social networking sites - where politicians can get their message out without civil servants and special advisers getting in the way. | |
| Not everyone is a Twitter fan | Not everyone is a Twitter fan |
| Labour's newly crowned "Twitter tsar", MP Kerry McCarthy, made a bid to win over the sceptics by saying it did not have to be a burden - and that Twitter could be updated while MPs were on hold on the telephone, or watching the news. | Labour's newly crowned "Twitter tsar", MP Kerry McCarthy, made a bid to win over the sceptics by saying it did not have to be a burden - and that Twitter could be updated while MPs were on hold on the telephone, or watching the news. |
| But in a word of warning Adewale Oshineye, a Google engineer, advised prospective MPs to bear in mind they were publishing something that could be dug out years later. | But in a word of warning Adewale Oshineye, a Google engineer, advised prospective MPs to bear in mind they were publishing something that could be dug out years later. |
| "When you are saying something amusing as a prospective parliamentary candidate, in four or five years' time when you are a cabinet minister and someone digs that up - that could be awkward," he said. | "When you are saying something amusing as a prospective parliamentary candidate, in four or five years' time when you are a cabinet minister and someone digs that up - that could be awkward," he said. |
| "You are basically publishing when you are writing online - it's likely to be archived and read by people for a long time to come." | "You are basically publishing when you are writing online - it's likely to be archived and read by people for a long time to come." |
| Press 'stalking' | Press 'stalking' |
| His colleague Chewy also warned the unwary: "When you are Twittering or putting anything on a blog do consider that it might end up on the front page of a newspaper." | His colleague Chewy also warned the unwary: "When you are Twittering or putting anything on a blog do consider that it might end up on the front page of a newspaper." |
| One nervous Labour candidate asked Ms McCarthy if she was "stalked by the press" after posting Twitter updates. | One nervous Labour candidate asked Ms McCarthy if she was "stalked by the press" after posting Twitter updates. |
| "Not in a bad way," she replied - but recalled a blog entry she wrote about a constituent's 13ft python that had swallowed the neighbour's cat, which ended up on the front page of the Sunday Times. | "Not in a bad way," she replied - but recalled a blog entry she wrote about a constituent's 13ft python that had swallowed the neighbour's cat, which ended up on the front page of the Sunday Times. |
| "You do get some irate constituents asking if you have nothing better to do than write about Wilbur the cat," she said, but added: "I think there is so much to be gained from it, we shouldn't let the fear of that put us off too much." | "You do get some irate constituents asking if you have nothing better to do than write about Wilbur the cat," she said, but added: "I think there is so much to be gained from it, we shouldn't let the fear of that put us off too much." |
| There's a lot more Labour MPs on Twitter than the other parties and some of them use it better than others Kerry McCarthy | There's a lot more Labour MPs on Twitter than the other parties and some of them use it better than others Kerry McCarthy |
| The event steered clear of party politics - or mentions of Gordon Brown's much-mocked appearance on YouTube. Mr Oshineye said Google hosted events for other parties and would be at the Conservative conference next week. | |
| The Conservatives have also been building up their internet presence, with a full time team of web developers working on projects for the general election and the party is well represented on social networking sites. A survey by the Hansard Society suggested Liberal Democrat MPs were the most likely to be on Facebook and the party holds its own Blog of the Year awards. | |
| Ms McCarthy told the BBC: "There's a lot more Labour MPs on Twitter than the other parties and some of them use it better than others - some get the 'two way things' a bit better." | Ms McCarthy told the BBC: "There's a lot more Labour MPs on Twitter than the other parties and some of them use it better than others - some get the 'two way things' a bit better." |
| 'Wrong position' | 'Wrong position' |
| She added: "When the whole Twitter tsar - I have succumbed to calling myself that now because I'm fighting a losing battle - was announced, that was at the beginning of recess, so I have not spoken to many colleagues. | She added: "When the whole Twitter tsar - I have succumbed to calling myself that now because I'm fighting a losing battle - was announced, that was at the beginning of recess, so I have not spoken to many colleagues. |
| "But I have had quite a few coming up to me - especially this week. I think there are going to be quite a lot of them doing it soon." | "But I have had quite a few coming up to me - especially this week. I think there are going to be quite a lot of them doing it soon." |
| She told the audience that given the "difficult situation" the party was in in the polls, it was "really important you get out there and engage" on the internet. | She told the audience that given the "difficult situation" the party was in in the polls, it was "really important you get out there and engage" on the internet. |
| Sue Macmillan - Labour's new media campaigns chief - joined her in trying to win over doubters. | Sue Macmillan - Labour's new media campaigns chief - joined her in trying to win over doubters. |
| She said that while there was time pressure on MPs some started from the "wrong position" of saying they only got 100 visitors a week and asking: "Why aren't my 60,000 constituents looking at my website?" | She said that while there was time pressure on MPs some started from the "wrong position" of saying they only got 100 visitors a week and asking: "Why aren't my 60,000 constituents looking at my website?" |
| Even with traditional canvassing, an MP might only speak to 10 people in two hours, she said. | Even with traditional canvassing, an MP might only speak to 10 people in two hours, she said. |
| "And you are reaching the people you can't get with canvassing because they live without land lines and in gated communities." | "And you are reaching the people you can't get with canvassing because they live without land lines and in gated communities." |
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