Engaging with Ed Miliband over twitter

Tim Jones

It's easy to deride twitter as superficial nonsense; yet its reach is staggering and important. WDM uses twitter to alert people to our latest reports, actions and titbits of gossip. But for anyone who saw the last episode of 'The thick of it', you will have seen that what starts in a tweeting tea cup can become much more.

We were pleased to see that the good people of One Climate had retweeted our email to Ed Miliband. The email expresses our disappointment that yesterday he missed the opportunity to rule out new coal and is urging him not to allow unproven carbon capture technology be used as a fig leaf to let in new coal power stations.

Our interested sharpened when we saw that Mr. Miliband himself (or DECC's Head of Twitter) has tweeted and responded saying that the reason he hadn't responded to our emails is because:

We set out most environmentally stringent coal policy of any country in world yesterday. Value serious engagement. This isn't it.

Now engaging seriously over twitter is not something anyone can do. But WDM has consistently sought serious engagement with Ed and his department. We have responded to coal consultations in great detail – we have been ignored; we have persistently asked for meetings – we have been ignored; and we have also galvanised international interest and support from campaigners all over the world about coal in the UK, who also have been ignored by the Secretary of State.

We have engaged very seriously with the secretary of state. We are still waiting for him to engage with us. We value serious engagement too; but fear that Ed does not want to hear what we have to say, so finds it safer to criticise in 140 characters.

P.S WDM is known for producing weighty, well-research policy documentation – like our latest 'The Climate Debt Crisis' which Ed will find in his press office or in the House of Commons Library and on his desk soon.