Salter Confesses to Luddite Tendencies

When I wrote the article ‘Tech Savvy or Luddite’ earlier this month, I wrote that it was “just a bit of fun” and accepted that I may have missed some online presence. I awarded Reading West Labour MP Martin Salter the title of Luddite of the Reading political scene, a title that he now seems to accept. The Reading Evening Post has run an article based on my findings and they have asked Martin for his reaction to the award.  His response was typically acerbic:

“I am a self-confessed Luddite and I make no bones about it. But I recognise the importance of communicating through the web and my website is about to be refurbished and brought up-to-date in the next few weeks. There is no prospect of my ever blogging. What little I have seen of the blogosphere, it seems to me to be the last refuge for tragic insomniacs who lack social skills.”

Clearly his opinion is not shared by colleagues in the Labour Party who have this week launched Labour List in an attempt to catch up with the vibrant blogging of centre-right bloggers like Iain Dale and Guido Fawkes. In the light of Martin’s comments it was amusing to read this in the Guardian in which Peter Mandelson, suggests that Labour needs to “embrace and engage” with the new media of the internet and blogging.

Maybe Martin should have a word with his Parliamentary colleagues who do blog, for example:

Austin Mitchell, Ed Miliband, Hazel Blears, Hilary Benn, Michael Meacher, Shaun Woodward and no lesser person than Labour Deputy Leader Harriet Harman.

I am sure that they would all be delighted to know that Martin Salter considers them to be “tragic insomniacs who lack social skills”.

Oh well, at least his constituents who blog know what he thinks of them as well!