Jon Bright (London, OK): Yesterday, as I was hurrying out the door, I noticed an icWales article about Paul Murphy, and stuck up a brief blog about it. One line caught my eye slightly: he has been made minister for "Digital inclusion", in the Ministry of Justice. What responsibilities will this new minister have? Google has been unrevealing - the top entry this Simon Dickson blog, who notes he will also be responsible for "data security" and "information assurance." Second is an old BBC news article about Derek Wyatt calling, some time ago, for the post to be created - to try and give everyone in the UK access to the net. Will that be Murphy's only role? Or will he have some part to play in the upcoming ID cards scheme? And why marry data assurance with devolution? (though, I realise, a similar argument could be made about Des Browne). Either way, this announcement seems to have caught more than a few people by surprise.
Online at OK: Democratic Audit's full report, The BNP: the Roots of their Success
Britain is good at dealing with diversity - Kanishk Tharoor
The BBC was right on BNP - it is our political class who have been complacent - Jacob Ignatius
Get over it, better to flush out the whole affair - David Elstein
Keith McBurney (not verified) said:
Fri, 2008-02-01 01:53John,
Why? To remarry 'defence' with hitherto devolved (and about to be reclaimed by the Wendy Comission) 'security' of course (see her St Andrews' Day speech, and Devolution Review debate at Holyrood on 6 Dec) whilst widening the nature and extent of the latter.