PM Webcasts to the Nation

Friday, 11 February, 2000, 10:43 GMT

Watch and listen: Prime Ministerial addresses at the click of a button

Prime Minister Tony Blair is breaking with British political tradition by planning a regular broadcast direct to the nation from Downing Street's revamped website.

The first webcast, available on the website this Friday, is on education and the prime minister details the progress of reforms since he came to office.

It is expected that the prime minister may record a webcast as often as weekly while Parliament is sitting.

The move, the first of its kind by a British prime minister, comes as part of Downing Street's £55,000 relaunch of its website.

While British prime ministers have shied away from the presidential style of a regular address to the nation - apart from at times of crisis - it is a longstanding tradition in the United States.

The Conservatives' shadow cabinet office minister Andrew Lansley was quick to attack the webcast, describing it as "Labour propaganda".

"I don't mind the government having a website which provides information," he told the BBC.

"But if the prime minister wants to tell the public his views he should go onto the Labour Party website.

"The taxpayer should not fund Labour Party propaganda."

Downing Street denied that the prime minister was portraying himself as a presidential figure.

"Any major organization must recognize that there are always new ways of communicating with the public," a spokesman said.

"This is a new opportunity in a new media that the government wants to make the most of."

In the address, the prime minister describes education as "his passion" and the government's "number one priority".

The prime minister's official spokesman said that the relaunched website aimed to lead the way in the digital delivery of government news and information.

But he rejected suggestions that the website's tone would blur the boundary between government policy and party politics.

"The content on the site is the government's commitments," he said.

"If we have a commitment to cut class sizes, that's a government pledge. It also happens to be a Labour Party commitment.

"There is nothing wrong with the Downing Street website detailing that pledge. What would be wrong would be for it to then go on and say that if you let the Tories in again the class sizes will shoot up again."

PM online

While the Downing Street website uses internet innovations including 360-degree panoramas, Mr. Blair is still an internet learner-driver.

Last year, he took a course in the internet after admitting having never used it - despite telling British industry that it needed to take e-commerce seriously.

Mr. Blair said that he had often felt "humiliated" when he saw his children using new technology.

"I know it's not good enough and if I recommend life-long learning to others, then I know I should go back to school myself," he said.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said that Mr. Blair now had an internet-connected PC on his desk and used it daily to check Foreign Office telegrams and the day's headlines - at BBC News Online.

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