I blog therefore I am! I exist for great swathes of people because Iblog and I blog to exist (and keep existing) as a politician. I amtrying, in an era where so few people vote and so many people dismisspoliticians as being all the same – to demonstrate that I am me, and todo so in a medium which (sometimes!) reaches the parts conventionalpolitics often doesn’t.

My blog is a personal recording of my work in my own words: nomiddlemen, no media interpretation, just my view of issues and eventsand activities – with the ability to explain points of view at muchgreater length than you get in the nanosecond TV soundbite culture.

It enables me to connect with my constituents, the media, local partyactivists, members of the party, the wider party and my opponents (whoare some of my most loyal and avid readers) as I wish .

But to write a blog and keep it up over the weeks and years you have tolove writing. And I love writing. Politics is so busy, so out there, sofrenetic – so blogging is my space for thought and sorting out what Ithink.

In some ways it isn’t a typical blog because I don’t read that manyother blogs, and tend not to comment on them or link to them orotherwise engage in the wider blogosphere. It’s more my diary than partof a wider online debate and community – though this autumn I’ve openedit up for comments for the first time. My aspiration is that when anissue blows up locally – and I write about it – my blog will provide adebating forum for local discussion and enable me to see the range ofviews and concerns involved. Here’s hoping!