British Minister 'warned over posting controversial comments online'

Follow Ministerial Code Online

PTI | May 31, 2010



A junior British Minister has been warned over posting controversial comments, including one in which she reveals doubts about her new boss and another in which she criticises a former Royal Family member, on her internet diary linked to micro-blogging site Twitter.

Home Office Minister Lynne Featherstone has been asked by senior British civil servants not to "write freely" about a range of bizarre and highly sensitive subjects on her website, which have generated controversy, the 'Daily Mail' reported.

"In common with many other Ministers, Lynne Featherstone has been blogging for several years. The Minister is well aware of her responsibilities under the Ministerial Code," a Home Office spokesman was quoted as saying.

In fact, in one of her postings about her boss, Home Secretary Theresa May, she wrote: "I know there has been a lot of concern as to Theresa May's track record on voting on LGB and T (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) issues -- and indeed a Facebook group against her has grown to 50,000.

"But it is easy in the Liberal Democrats to be liberal -- Theresa has had a much harder road in the Conservatives to bring change." .

In another post, the glamorous 58-year-old Minister has called for British Parliament to ditch some of its oldest traditions, including recommending it sat in a "horseshoe" shape, and has railed against former Speaker Michael Martin.

"Of course, I would prefer the chamber... to be horse shoe in shape, use language and form of language commonly understood by everyone, using names as well as constituencies (to humanise) and many other modernisations," she wrote.

In addition, she posted a Twitter update and breached Ministerial protocol by criticising a former member of Royal Family, the Duchess of York, who has been hogging newspaper headlines for her alleged role in cash-for-access scandal.

The Minister referred to news that the Duchess had been filmed offering access to her Britain's Trade Envoy and her ex-husband, Prince Andrew, the Queen's second son, for 500,000 pounds as "grubby" and "shoddy".

However, Featherstone is yet to respond to the controversy.

 

Comments

 

Other News

Cabinet approves museum at North-South Block complex

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by prime minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday has approved the development of the Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum (YYBM) at the North and South Block Complex, New Delhi, at an estimated total project cost of ₹3,230 crore, as appraised by the Public Investmen

Cabinet approves extension of Noida metro corridor

The Union Cabinet, chaired by prime minister Narendra Modi, has approved the extension of Aqua Line Metro Rail Corridor from Noida Sector-51 to Greater Noida Sector-04 of Noida Metro Rail Project with corridor for a length of 8.449 km with 5 elevated stations. On operationalization of this corridor, Noid

India reaffirms commitment to climate multilateralism

India has reaffirmed its commitment to climate multilateralism and the principles of Equity and Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC), calling for a fair, equitable and ambitious outcome at the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations Framewo

How the mind can help the body heal itself

Why do some people recover from illness against all odds? Can our beliefs, emotions and consciousness influence the body’s ability to heal? Drawing on over three decades of experience in medicine, research and medical innovation, internationally trained ophthalmologist and author Dr Dinesh Verma ex

1,364 anti-cancer formulations to cost less from today

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, has capped trade margins on the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) of 137 anti-cancer drugs. This was based on the recommendations of an Expert Committee constitute

Who checks the books?

I read about the news about the Coimbatore library over coffee this morning. On the face of it, the headline was about a political ‘war’ between the DMK and TVK. But what stayed with me was something much more important than the blame game behind what had transpired. A writer walking through

Upcoming Conferences



-->

Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter