I've just watched a couple of videos of David Miliband on his recent trip to the US which he mentioned on his blog. It is refreshing to hear a politician not talk in soundbites and seem willing, even eager, to answer questions. This ties in, in my head at least, with a couple of posts on Lords of the Blog which address sincerity in politics; from Lord Tyler in Don't know?
what would happen if a Minister, faced with the demand for an immediate comment on the Today programme, replied “I don’t know, I’ll think about that”. Would John Humphrys explode ?and Baroness Murphy in When Ministers don’t know
We applaud government show-offs who can demonstrate their rapid and witty responses whereas in real life I want Ministers with sound judgement, personal integrity and sense of good purpose.
I find myself often disengaged from politics because it is impossible to understand what reasoning lies beneath a menacing line, e.g. "the threat of seperation".
Anyway, the Miliband vids follow. Watch them.
Posted by Paul in Communication Politics at May 24, 2008 04:17 AM