A YouTube kicking might help Brown

I took part in an LBC radio debate this morning about Gordon Brown’s YouTube initiative with Nick Ferrari, radio’s equivalent to a morning Bloody Mary. A LBC reporter has sent in her own question via video phone – was Blair right to think you have no chance against David Cameron? It won’t get past the censors, of course – party political content. So far 20 videos have, and I surveyed them this morning. Some literally start with Young People thanking the Dear Leader for “this brilliant opportunity” to question him on YouTube with all the authenticity of a backbencher reading a planted question at PMQs. None were about tax or immigration, the two top subjects in Britain today – but almost all were from under-35s, so perhaps this explains it. So Ferrari invited his listeners to submit real questions, and it was more like it. “Why don’t you cut taxes to stimulate the economy?” “Why do we have two Scottish governments” “Why did Blair give £7bn of our rebate away to Europe”, “Do you wear boxers or a thong?”.

In fairness to Brown, I actually do see some potential here. Cameron was pilloried when he did his WebCameron initially, which now has a respectable following. He answers questions all the time, but from paper. No10 has videos of people asking questions, which is perhaps more effective. It makes you think there’s a neverending supply of them, when in fact there’s no more than two dozen when I checked. Also, the censors have allowed more awkward questions such as “why does English tax allow your constituents free university tuition” and “why don’t you allow comments on any of your 180 YouTube adverts”.  Blair adopted a “masochism strategy” in the run-up to the 2005 election, allowing himself to get beaten up by studio audiences so the public would think they’ve had their pound of flesh and feel sorry for him on polling day. Blair saw a choice: get beaten up now, on TV, or get beaten up on polling day. Despite the ridicule in this morning’s press (Ann Treneman is particularly good), Brown should heed his forerunner’s approach.