Comments on: Tom Watson MP: Resignation

By: Links of the Week – 11 June 2009

Links of the Week – 11 June 2009 — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:19:00 +0000

[...] minister Tom Watson blogs his resignation letter and reveals Angela E. Smith (the last Local eGov minister) will be his [...]

By: Pam Loughran

Pam Loughran — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:14:36 +0000

Hi Tom, recently discovered that you moved on to bigger and better things (possibly!!) after the glamour and gloss of advertising. It’s nice to see that you stayed true to your Kiddie roots though, the Cabinets loss is local politics gain, I am sure. I share Katie’s sentiments and hope life is treating you well.
All the best, Pam

By: Katie Gathercole (McElroy)

Katie Gathercole (McElroy) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 10:17:15 +0000

Hi Tom, Sorry to hear you have resigned. I’m sure you wouldn’t have taken such a decision lightly. Sometimes you’ve got to seek out and prioritise what is truley important in life and it sounds like you’ve done just that. Hope life is treating you and your family well. Take care, Katie.

By: Why it's great that Tim Berners-Lee is advising the British Government. | Podnosh Blog

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 19:32:16 +0000

[...] intervention” to a data muddle, while Paul Canning echoes that, hoping that (with the departure of Tom Watson from the Cabinet Office) Sir Tim might be able to act as a data [...]

By: Catching up | DavePress

Catching up | DavePress — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 11:04:57 +0000

[...] sad news that Tom Watson has resigned from his position as Minister for (amongst other things) Digital Engagement. He pushed this agenda [...]

By: Alan Farrell

Alan Farrell — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:19:22 +0000

It is necessary for every one to realize that the media are keen to get rid of Gordon Brown and install their new “Blue Eyed Boy” in politics , Mr David Cameron . Of course it is not important to them that David Cameron will try and continue where Margaret Thatcher left off , and that is closing down Nursing homes and hospitals due to their lack of profitability . How ever Mr Cameron is being hailed by the media as the “champion” of the working man and being deviously being portrayed as the new Tony Blair , when in fact he is a creation out of Thatcherism , and would be the younger version of Margaret Thatcher , who helped in doing nothing to try and rebuild British Industry , but just encourage cheap foreign imports like Rupert Murdoch and Ian MacGregor, who only helped themselves to creating further unemployment in the UK . The Truth of the matter is that the Conservative party have no new policies and will simply increase unemployment in the UK. What the Labour party are failing to do is to project that truth to the general public as the party does not appear to have the influential friends in the media that David Cameron quite blatantly appears to have . If the Labour party are unable to revitalize itself to the real issues , and stop licking self inflicted wounds which the Conservative party and the far right are reveling in , then Labour will truly lose the next general election in a humiliating fashion , causing even further chaos by leaving the country in the hands of a Margaret Thatcher clone who is as pretentious as his smile .

By: Anne McCrossan

Anne McCrossan — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 22:15:56 +0000

Tom I’m a friend of Mike Baldwin’s and an electronic twitter friend and admirer of yours.

I totally appreciate what you’ve been doing and agree with Miller 2.0 that your brief will suffer without you.

You’re a great champion of digital engagement who’s led by example and earned the respect of many.

By: Media « Five by Five

Media « Five by Five — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 09:15:18 +0000

[...] MP to blog has resigned, first breaking the news of his resignation to his followers on Twitter. He did not use his letter as a platform to beat Prime Minister Gordon Brown, of whom he is a close ally, but cited family [...]

By: Mo

Mo — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 22:14:17 +0000

I can only echo what others have said. I think you should be held up as a shining example of *how to engage* with people–something you’ve done a sterling job of over the past few years.

I hope you, and your family, enjoy the relative peace and quiet of being a “ordinary” MP!

By: brummytaff

brummytaff — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 08:45:08 +0000

Hello Tom

It was good to meet you last Saturday in West Bromwich at the searchlight leaflet drop. Now I know why you looked surprisingly relaxed!

Having a high profile MP is fine but local issues in West Bromwich need attending as well so glad that you will have more time to look at some of the scandals around thePublic Arts Centre and general lack of amenities for children and families in our constituency and your voice would be welcome. It may not have the sexiness and cut and thrust of westminster but I suspect the Black Conutry people are a lot more real! As a relatively recent import from London I certainly find it so.

The next year will be vital if we are to rescue anything from the current mire the party is in.

The historical precedents from the Tories in the 1990’s to Labour in the 1980’s show that uncommitted people do not vote for divided parties and the vast majority of the electorate are floating ( if not drowning)

I am torn between rallying around Gordon or starting afresh . For me. its a fifty/fifty call. I will be at the UNISON National Conference in Brighton from June 15th so will have a broader sense of the feelings around, but who knows , it may be all over by then!

So have a more relaxing time in West Brom ( dog walking around Sandwell Valley is highly recommended) keep the blog going ( perhaps a little less esotric though please) and thanks for resigning in such a respectful way…others could have learned from it!