Thursday 20 November 2008

15 comments:

Hacked Off said...

Congratulations!

Tell me, are you getting paid for this from your £10,000 additional communications allowance, and if so, how much? Assuming that your associated website has hosting costs, naturally enough, but by using the blogger platform, you have no blogging costs per se.

And, what would it cost you (out of your own resources) to be as independent as some of your colleagues who have decided to forgo the delights of toeing the line? And would that freedom be valuable to you?

The Penguin

Kerry said...

You're referring I assume to the Paul Flynn story that has been doing the rounds this week, even though it's 18 months old.

The main website is publicly-funded, and approved by the Fees Office.

I don't claim anything from the CA for this blog - it doesn't cost anything to run - and it's entirely up to me what I say on it. Which is why I set it up. I don't give much thought at all to what the whips would think, but I do often despair of the likelihood of having an intelligent debate on here, without being deliberately misconstrued by other bloggers or the media, and that often means I don't post on some topics which I would otherwise quite like to talk about.

The award, by the way, was for both - i.e. the website and blog. Apparently I am regarded as being the best MP in the UK at engaging with the public. Which I shall remind you of at regular intervals!

pagar said...

Apparently I am regarded as being the best MP in the UK at engaging with the public.

In fairness, I think this is probably the case. You seem to be prepared to seriously debate the issues.

I can't say, however, that you were up against the strongest opposition for this award.....

Guthrum said...

Well Done You !

Billy Wallace said...

This year's category winners, selected by an independent panel of political commentators from across the media, were dominated by MPs from the Labour party.

Thats fine, Hmmm yep..... okay... Good

Kerry said...

I thought someone might bring that up. I can only remember two of the six judges - one was Danny Finkelstein from the Times, the other was from the Spectator. Tories and Lib Dems were shortlisted, but didn't win - let's face it, we're just that bit better than them!

alex26 said...

Havent you read 1984 and what Orwell says about website awards?

Typical Nu-Labour rigging the judging panel for a website award just so you can come on here and mention it.

Its outrageous, no wander Gordon Brown sold all our gold and ruined everything!

Unknown said...

come on kerry.post what you would really like to discuss.

you want to engage with the public. this is an excellent opportunity to do so........

only don't expect everyone to agree with you.

your share of the vote is roughly 1/3.so it is you who is in the minority.same for the tories.

to the proles mps' seem aloof and to live in a bubble.

thinking that they are special.that they know best.well oddly enough in a country of 60 million+ there are people with higher iqs' and more experience in certain sectors.......

so.say what you want.most of us are adults and would like to be treated as such.

Hacked Off said...

At least your blog is not over run by the tossers who pollute comments in the Nulabourgraph making any sensible debate impossible. And, full marks, unlike many, you do engage in the debate yourself rather than just posting and ignoring.

A further award you have been given is a guest appearance (!) on Old Holborn's place, an honour not lightly bestowed.

The Penguin

Anonymous said...

Ah yes. Awards season is upon us.

You might've done well in namby-pamby Westminster but it'll be interesting to see how you get on in the boiling cauldron of competition here in Bristol ...

DaveA said...

Kerry, well done. I do agree that you enagage well beyond the call of duty. There is probably not too much we will agree on and some of your answers do not address the point sometimes. However it cannot be too comfortable being criticised or downright hostility.

Well done again and 6 posts in a row without mentioning the smoking ban. ;)

Ade Brown said...

I do find this blog useful. Just occasionally, I need reminding of why I left the Labour Party and this provides it.

Continually conflating anti-immigration views with racism is just so cute.

For the record, I don't believe you should be strung up from a lamp-post. This archaic punishment for traitors has no place in a civilised elective dictatorship.

I'd have you wearing an orange jumpsuit and doing useful community work. Datatagged, naturally.

Kerry said...

Not orange, please anything but orange.

swindon_alan said...

I reckon we could 'turn' Kerry to the libertarian cause.

Let's get OH to take her out for dinner. He is tall, handsome (in a V mask or not) and has - oh, such a way with words. I will put a tenner in to the pot to fund said dinner date.

Come on Kerry, what do you say?

Kerry said...

Does he know any good vegan restaurants?