Political Week in Twitter
By Ruth Mckee
The week's best political tweets in one handy location.
This week saw the defence secretary Liam Fox stand down days before Muammar Gaddafi was captured and killed. But Twitter was as vocal on the minutiae of life as on the bigger picture, with a few tweeps taking side-swipes at their fellow tweeters.
Will Straw and Paul Waugh drew attention to Justine Greening's welcome to the Cabinet:
@paulwaugh – Justine Greening was 'banged in' by the Cabinet after the PM formally welcomed her. That's banging of desks, btw…
@wdjstraw – “@paulwaugh: Greening was 'banged in' by Cabinet after the PM formally welcomed her. That's banging of desks, btw…” << how very bullingdon
While erstwhile tweeter @sallyBercow incurred the wrath of blogger Guido Fawkes when she commented on Libya:
@sallybercow – Who is going to disarm the Libyan rebels? The sooner the fruitloops give up their arms the better… #justsaying
@guidofawkes – Those "fruitloops" have fought to free themselves from an evil dictator, risking their lives to defend civilians from shelling @SallyBercow
But Sally Bercow wasn't the only one to suffer razor cuts from Fawkes' tongue, as news emerged of BBC big-wig Alan Yentob auctioning off highly prized BBC internships:
@guidofawkes – Alan Yentob Auctions BBC Internship For £4,000: With youth unemployment approaching a million the idea that ric… bit.ly/nYj9EK
@guidofawkes – Who bought the internship to shadow you @AlanYentob?
The eviction of travellers at the Dale Farm site in Basildon was covered by Twitter with increasingly alarming updates from Guardian journalist @lexytopping:
@LexyTopping – Slow, but sure progression here at #dalefarm. one protester removed in a cage.
@LexyTopping – Carnage here. Smell of burning. Protesters in boiler suits and balaclavas adding fuel to the fire yfrog.com/h6za9kuj
The twittersphere were keen to comment on the morality of the situation:
@chris_coltrane – Some say about #DaleFarm "The law must be upheld". Therefore: let's send in riot police to evict Tesco
@Old_Holborn – The only victims of #DaleFarm residents flouting planning law are property developers. Hence the riot police with tazers turning up
@jamesrbuk – worth remembering police rejected use of tasers during the England riots as not appropriate for those situations #dalefarm
As ever, this week's BBC Question Time created a Twitter storm, but Twitter seemed a little distracted by a certain Jacob Rees-Mogg:
@markthomasinfo – Say what you like about Rees Mogg but he is the only panelist who looks like they can dance the Charleston. #bbcqt
@HadleyFreeman – Rees-Mogg: "An Englishman's home is his castle." Presumably more literally true for him than most #bbcqt
@woodyk35 #bbcqt – #jacobreesmogg always takes his mates to meetings – it's just no one else can see them #liamfox
In fact appearances were commented on left right and centre on this week's programme:
@deililly – Completely distracted by Brian Cox's blow dry. He looks like a very well groomed lion #bbqt
@richbignell – #bbqt is one programme not to watch in HD
But some did seem to listen to what was being said:
@legalaidlass – Fitting analogy by audience. Basically went 'I'm a nurse, would #LiamFox mind if I brought my closest chum along to his appointment?' #bbqt
@MissEllieMae – Yes @bbcquestiontime but in the 5th richest country in the world with a relatively mild climate, PEOPLE SHOULDN'T DIE OF COLD!!! #bbcqt
And there was nowhere for Liam Fox to hide this week on Twitter:
@sabihaOM – A persian proverb, the Fox yelps but the caravan moves on #LiamFox #torylies
@GlenysThornton – RT @dontgetfooled: Could the people of North Somerset make #LiamFox the first MP to face a "recall" vote?
And finally, here's our Tweet of the week
@briggsally – Jacob Rees-Mogg: If Death Eaters were written by PG Wodehouse #bbqt
