Web of intrigue as 'blogger' tracks MP

Jul 31 2004 By Ross Smith, The Journal

A North MP has unwittingly found himself targeted by a new breed of internet tracker.

A web logger - or `blogger' - who calls himself Not The Real Jim Cousins has set up a site dedicated to the Newcastle Central MP's every public appearance and utterance.

The site - which makes it clear it has no official connection to Mr Cousins - records the politician's speeches, and news items on which he has commented on a daily basis. It also issues regular challenges to Mr Cousins to take over the web at any time.

Yesterday the site manager would only identify himself to The Journal as a computer programmer living in the Byker area - the east of Mr Cousins' constituency.

The Newcastle season ticket holder, who says he lives on a council estate a few hundred yards from the Labour MP's office, says he will give up the site if Mr Cousins wants to run it himself.

A "blogspot" site allows the person who controls it to post diary-style messages, and others to post their responses to the entries.

So far, four MPs run their own blogspots but several more have blogspots dedicated to them, after a campaign by Australian-born programmer Tim Ireland.

Some sites are less friendly than the Cousins version. A site dedicated to Darlington MP Alan Milburn, run by a 27-year-old teacher in his constituency, has issued calls on him to resign and says: "That's what this weblog is for: to encourage Alan to either let us know what he's doing, or step down." Not The Real Jim Cousins said yesterday: "I'm not hugely politically motivated - no more than anyone else that grew up on Tyneside in the 70s and 80s anyway.

"But I think blogging is absolutely the best medium for one-to-many communication and, more importantly, a focal point for the many-to-one responses generated, and I would like my MP to be doing it. I'm not doing this for fame or recognition, merely to get my MP online in a meaningful way. If I ever do reveal who I am it will be when Jim claims the blog."

He has offered to give Mr Cousins technical assistance for a year if he wants to use it to increase his accessibility to constituents.

Mr Cousins was not available for a comment yesterday.

But the site's latest entry claims that a researcher from Mr Cousins' office has been made aware of it, and is making inquiries to find out who is Not The Real Jim Cousins.

The programmer has also had a message of support from Liberal Democrat councillor Greg Stone, who will fight Mr Cousins for the seat at the next General Election.