Find Your Poison Online
We have all seen the so-called 'smeargate' scandal unfold over the Easter weekend.
The ideas discussed by Damien McBride and Derek Draper were vile, horrible, despicable and completely morally unacceptable.
I have been a politician for the whole of my adult life and have witnessed dishonest and dirty tricks campaigns in the past. Politics, as with all walks of life, has always included individuals willing to resort to offensive insults and downright lies. Negative campaigning and personal attacks have always been something of an ethical grey area but the weekend's revelations sailed far beyond the bounds of acceptability. There is no place for activity of this kind in modern politics.
Thankfully the authors dropped the plan quickly but it was clear from the moment the story broke that McBride had to go. He has now been removed, without severance pay and I think that right. I also welcome moves by Gordon Brown to tighten up the code of conduct for Special Advisors although clearly the ideas being floated in the now well publicised email exchange were already a sackable offence.
It is being suggested by the Tories that 'smeargate' is the direct result of a supposed Downing Street 'culture'. I agree it is the product of a culture, but not that of No 10. Rather it is in keeping with an online culture of juvenile mudslinging. Under a cloak of anonymity bloggers and online commentators indulge in a sordid world of personal attacks and fabricated accusations. I know, I have been the subject of made up attacks from anonymous individuals in cyberspace. The very man, Paul Staines, who gave the emails to the press takes pride in running a blog built on tittle tattle and rumours that no newspaper would dream of printing. The same is true of a range of other blogs which take delight in poking fun at the Prime Minister for being 'one eyed' (a not so funny disability) and calling into question his mental state (a smear bearing more than a passing resemblance to one suggested by McBride). If the 'Red Rag' site had ever come on stream it would have been cheek by jowl with countless others all competing to make up the most malicious rumour.
The internet is an increasingly influential force not just in politics but in life generally and too often at the moment elements of the online community are seemingly plumbing new depths operating in a moral vacuum. Suggestions of codes of conduct and regulation of the internet bring howls of protest but mostly from those who wish to indulge in activities that would bring libel law suits if they dared put their identities to their fabricated claims. It is from that 'untouchable' culture that McBride took his prompts and it is something that must be addressed if we want honest politics. The net provides us huge opportunity but there must also be responsibility. Ultimately I think that needs to be some form of self regulation, not the Government. The net needs to grow up.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Hastings
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 13 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: West
