Me and my mate, Jane
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Our anti-Trident Education Minister here in Wales has signed up to MySpace. She digs us yoofs you see.But in so doing, Jane, who is currently considering a request to be my friend, has unwittingly revealed a few truths. So, here goes, five things you didn't know about Jane Davidson:
1. She is blissfully unaware that Welsh is not yet an official language, and that this is quite a contentious election issue. Jane says: "I feel really proud of the fact that Welsh and English are official languages in Wales, although I am still trying to become fluent in Welsh!"
2. She is both 49 and 50 years old, depending on what page you look at.
3. She is friends with Jake (Fudge), a sixteen year-old salmon inspector from Uruguay.
4. Her heroes are hardcore lefties like Aneurin Bevan, Hugo Chavez, Mark Thomas and Jeremy Hardy. No mention of Tony Blair.
5. She's started the MySpace page to get more young people involved in politics. One post is entitled 'How Do We Engage More Young people in Voting?':
What was interesting today was a debate on the excitingly titled "Local Government and Public Service Committee Electoral Arrangements Report". With a name like that, I can hardly see people rushing to break the library doors down to find a copy, but it does contain some interesting recommendations on which I would like your views. The report suggests some actions to help:
1.There should be regional and national initiatives to promote voting to young people
2. There should be targeted initiatives to encourage socially and economically deprived young people to vote....
Would any of these make a difference to you? If they wouldn't, what would?
A new targeted initiative you say? Fetch me my jet pack, I'm off to the nearest polling station.
Jane, if you're going to be my friend, you've got to cut out the jargon.
Labels: blog, blogging, Jane Davidson, myspace, Welsh Assembly, Welsh blogs, Welsh language
posted by Blamerbell @ 8:34 am,
14 Comments:
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At 10:20 am,
said...
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honestly.. myspace.. its all about Facebook now!
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At 10:48 am,
Marcusian said...
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I think the use of myspace/facebook by politicians is a good thing, its another chance for this magical 'two-way' conversation and perhaps will entice so people to consider voting or politics in general off the back of it...the key to all net visibility for politicians and party is quality and imagination. Its needs to be multi-faceted, regularly updated, willing to accept dissenting voices and to debate those issues raised and not an electronic version of leaflets or more 'linear' websites.
I must admit Mrs Davidson's comments on youth disengagment are rather vague...
Political Literacy is absolutely essential, but this must allowed to emanate from young people's own experience and through the issues they deem important. The political class must be creatively in selling politics to young people, remember we are up against Big Brother, X-factor and other drivel like 'Celebrity Cakemaking/Sowing/car washing'. I think the young people who are into politics must come out of their blogosphere/political haze and be more proactive in telling others why they are interested in politics.
Bethan Jenkins, who is running for Plaid, does that, and i have a few things in the pipeline that i want to expand on to try and do this. It doesnt necessarily have to be party based (i think a non-partisan approach will resonate better to young people who see formal politics and a 'shouting match')
We need to engage young people in politics, but not the dismiss it as 'youth politics'...We also need to make the citizenship education tie in with votes at 16, so that the course taught can be tailored to the young person then being able to use their vote. I -
At 11:42 am,
Luke Young said...
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It just makes sense for her to have a Myspace or a Facebook page, I can guarantee that the Funky Dragon have been encouraging her to set up one - it shows her willingness to reach out more than anything else.
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At 12:03 pm,
Blamerbell said...
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The paragraph from the page that worries me is this:
"Promoted by Nicholas Wall on behalf of Jane Davidson AM, both at Unit 10, Maritime Offices, Woodland Terrace, Maesycoed, Pontypridd. CF37 1DZ."
Ah, the mark of the researcher.
Millions of people all over the world manage to promote their MySpace pages without any help at all. -
At 4:38 pm,
said...
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Who cares. The people who decide elections in this country are over the age of 55. The fragrant Jane would be better off visiting her local oap centres. The 'off your face ' generation couldn't care who will be elected on May 3rd
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At 5:14 pm,
bethan said...
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The 'off your face ' generation couldn't care who will be elected on May 3rd.
this is why I don't like comment from anon. Young people do care about issues that affect them, and want that to be represented on an Assembly level. It's stereotypical comments like this that put young people off. -
At 6:13 pm,
said...
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De do do do de da da da
Is all I want to say to you -
At 7:19 pm,
said...
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Did she actually list Hugo Cavez as a "hero" or were just pulling our legs!!
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At 9:12 pm,
Blamerbell said...
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Did she actually list Hugo Cavez as a "hero" or were just pulling our legs!!
I believe Chavez was listed as the person she'd most like to meet. She doesn't say why... -
At 9:09 am,
said...
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Did she actually list Hugo Cavez as a "hero" or were just pulling our legs!!
Davidson is making a serious challenge for the Welsh Labour leadership when Rhodri resigns post-May 3. She's been busy courting the left vote.
Despite the English public school background, our Janey was a bit of a leftie. May she still is. Vote Jane to renationalise the commanding heights of the economy! -
At 5:06 pm,
said...
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I apologise to my Spanish speaking friends for mispelling Hugo's name!! :/
I don't really know why she would choose myspace for engaging youth. Its more for social interaction. Kids are not daft when they see what seem's to be a cynical ploy. -
At 5:42 pm,
Marcusian said...
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Cynical Ploy it maybe, but we must at least first establish these links between young people and politicians. For too long the political class have treated the internet as a space to just chuck information up in a different format. Myspace, Youtube and the like gives a more interactive element, and if ten young people take more of an interest in politics because of Jane's Myspace page then thats ten more than if she hadnt!
Kids are not stupid, but they are far more likely to communicate with their politicians if it is in a space and context they feel at home with. I agree though that should -
At 6:08 pm,
Blamerbell said...
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"Despite the English public school background, our Janey was a bit of a leftie."
What school was she at? Anyway, there's nothing stopping public school kids being lefties. We don't choose our parents.
"Cynical Ploy it maybe, but we must at least first establish these links between young people and politicians."
Give her a chance, I say. But only if she can keep the researcher's grubby hands away form it. Nothing says 'I'm out of touch' more than needing professional help to udpate something which by its very nature must be personal. -
At 12:45 pm,
said...
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The thing that usually stops public school kids from being lefties is that they see the benefits of being members of a privileged elite (2% of Welsh kids go to private schools). Some obviously rebel (Paul Foot being one of the more obvious but the left sects are full of them).
Red Jane went to Malvern.
