Tony Blair discovers joys of e-mailing

[T_i_B]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5180888.stm

Tony Blair has finally joined the computer age and has his own e-mail account, it has been revealed.

The prime minister has long been seen as a technophobe and was once described by his former spokesman, Alastair Campbell, as "a pen and paper man". But Mr Blair has said he personally uses an email account in the course of his official duties.

The revelation came in a parliamentary written answer to Tory local government spokesman Caroline Spelman.

Despite taking part in web chats - and spending millions promoting e-government initiatives - Mr Blair has always joked about his own lack of prowess with technology. He recently told chat-show host Michael Parkinson he is such a technophobe he sometimes watches programmes at 10 Downing Street with no sound, because he cannot turn up the volume on the television set. And, he added, he relies on his daughter Kathryn, 17, to load songs on to his iPod.

[Greeby]

1. Maybe in a few weeks he'll figure out the Empire is over

:eyes:

[rodeodance]

2. Bush would be on his buddy list (but bush does not use email as far as

I last heard).

[sinkingfeeling]

3. Maybe Blair could explain how it works to Sen. Stevens.

[mrfrapp]

4. Ignoramus

"He recently told chat-show host Michael Parkinson he is such a technophobe he sometimes watches programmes at 10 Downing Street with no sound, because he cannot turn up the volume on the television set"

It's one thing to not know how to "load songs" on to an iPod but adjusting the volume on a TV set? Is he serious?

I'm not sure what's more disturbing, that he hasn't (a) asked someone how to do it, (b) looked over his someone's shoulder to discover how they did it, (c) worked it out for himself or (d) that he seems to be proud of his own ignorance.

[twenty4blackbirds]

5. I think it's English humour.

self-depracating, etc.

Humour sometimes doesn't travel well. On the other side of the Atlantic it can be U's-less ;-)