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Articles tagged with Twitter
Thatcher: A response to Twitter vitriol
by Josh Zietcer / 08 Apr 2013 14:29
Regardless of your political views, there’s no denying Margaret Thatcher was a global political icon. An individual who revolutionised British politics.
Undoubtedly, the Iron Lady made many foes during her time in Parliament. Controversial policies, such as the poll tax and her opposition to any closer integration with Europe, meant the mere utterance of her name has nowadays become divisive. It’s not uncommon to hear even schoolchildren debating over how her policies affected their families.
As the news
Is Twitter treating Osborne unfairly?
by Josh Zietcer / 21 Mar 2013 12:19
In the Twittersphere, Budget day is always an exciting occasion. It is a day on which pre-prepared tweets by loyal Conservatives surface, blaming Labour for the deficit (in a manner which can only be compared to a toddler screaming “but he started it”), angry Labour voters arm themselves with metaphorical hammers to break apart anything Osborne says, before he even opens his mouth, editors of national newspapers accidently leak budget reports and
The dangers of tweleting
by Christian May / 20 Nov 2012 11:41
"Un-say." Vb. To retract (something said or written).
The ability to unsay something must be top of the wish list for most politicians. Just imagine a world of realtime self-editing, where your comments could be erased from the memory of an audience if the reaction wasn't positive or, and this is more likely, the comments themselves were ill-judged. How much do you think Gordon Brown would like to have unsaid his infamous bigot
How aliens will view David Cameron on twitter
by Sadie Smith / 08 Oct 2012 13:55
DEREK: Right then, Barry. Have we established conclusively what led to the demise of the earth mass? There was some suggestion that the escalation of manmade pollution combined with global warming was incrementally responsible, but I understand that another theory has been mooted?
BARRY: That’s right, Derek. Whilst the global warming scenario looked the most likely, new research has determined that the real cause was an article in an organ of record the
Omneologismshambles: today’s political dictionary
by Anoosh Chakelian / 12 Sep 2012 09:52
Proalition
A handy little portmanteau for Lib Dems and Tories alike to suggest that, in spite of various recent crises of loyalty, they still support the coalition. The Guardian handily points out that this is a neologism, rather than a typo. It also offers the cynic’s alternative: ‘noalition’. You can even call it the snowalition at Christmas. If it’s still around.
Gazelles
Vince Cable’s favourite new description for innovative,
A bag-carrier's guide to surviving Twitter
by Martin Shapland / 02 Mar 2012 10:34
Twitter. A realm of infinite possibility, where MPs can engage with their adoring public, researchers can catch up on who is punching who in Strangers' and journalists can look on benevolently. Hang on, something there's not quite right.
In fact, too many tweets make easy copy for bored hacks. MPs don’t have an adoring public and researchers don’t leave the pub. Twitter can be a powerful communication asset but trying to navigate the
The anonymous heroes of the political Twittersphere
by Alexander Wickham / 06 Feb 2012 11:42
There are three types of politicos on Twitter. First, there are those who unswervingly – and sometimes excruciatingly – toe the party line, forever insisting that their party leader has given a strong and assured performance in the latest PMQs or radio interview. Let’s call them the Peter Hains. Second, there are those who stand out from the crowd; the insightful and opinionated tweeters that have something of genuine interest to say. The
Friday's terrible Twitter tedium
by Caroline Crampton / 27 Jan 2012 12:03
Friday is the day when MPs are supposed to reconnect with the rest of the world beyond Westminster. They go back to their constituencies to attend all kinds of local events, run surgeries and meet the people who might be persuaded to vote for them in the next election. All as it should be.
But it isn’t enough anymore that they do these things - they need to be seen to
The internet should be a politician's friend
by Charlotte Henry / 12 Jan 2012 10:55
Last week we had yet more evidence to add to the trial of ‘politicians vs the internet’. Many of our elected officials just seem unable to cope with the concept that the internet is both a public forum, and an extension of how you present yourself to the electorate. Time after time a slip of the keyboard causes them embarrassment, or worse.
The most infamous example is, of course, Anthony Weiner’s ummm….weiner,
Diane Abbott's crass generalisations
by Martin Shapland / 05 Jan 2012 12:02
I’m not going to call for Diane Abbott to resign. I think she should either attempt to justify her remarks by explaining how she has experienced ‘divide and rule’ from the ‘white community’ as a whole personally or else apologise immediately for causing such obvious offense.
Abbott just does not get it. What she’s done may be rather minor in comparison with Aiden Burley’s Nazi stag do, or St Andrews’ Conservative
Perry's Twitter ticking-off
by Amber Elliott / 12 Dec 2011 15:59
It seems that there are still some Conservative MPs unhappy about the distraction of Twitter in the Commons chamber.
In Home Office questions this afternoon, Claire Perry wrote: "It might be more appropriate for Ms Creasy and Ms De Piero to stop tweeting on the Labour frontbench and start paying attention."
Strong stuff.
However, the PPS to Philip Hammond's argument was slightly undermined
Social media is not guilty
by Richard Roberts / 15 Sep 2011 13:51
It’s been an odd kind of year for the reputation of social media. It all started so well. Back in the first few months of 2011, social media – Facebook, Twitter, Blackberry messenger – were being touted as tools for spreading democracy and overthrowing dictators in the Middle East.
Then came the riots. Suddenly the very same social media networks found themselves in the dock on account of the role they played in
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