Number 10 using fake names on letters to MPs & the public
Discussion
alangla said:
Presumably someone has gone to the trouble of writing the letter in the first place, and that they are authorised to state any facts disclosed in that letter.I can't see what it matters whose name is on the bottom, fictional or not.
A fictional name does not dictate a fictional reply.
"The policy was adopted after a member of the public traced a member of staff in the Direct Communications Unit, that handles letters from the public and MPs, and threatened her at her home address."
Seems fair enough for bulk mailing. Do you really think that guy at the call center somewhere in Asia is really called Colin?
Seems fair enough for bulk mailing. Do you really think that guy at the call center somewhere in Asia is really called Colin?
Victor McDade said:
If the security threat is genuine then the practice itself seems okay for me. So long as they keep the fictional names constant and only associated with the actual person who wrote the letter.
Yes the security thing...aricle said:
A No 10 spokesman said real names had not been used on correspondence since 2005 for security reasons.
So it's a practice that began with Liarbore. In which case why are the beeb and a has-been painting it as something to do with the current lot?article said:
The admission came after Labour MP Sir Gerald Kaufman said he got a letter from No 10 signed by a "Mrs E Adams".
He (GK) added:
"What extraordinary events are taking place in 10 Downing Street whereby they send letters from somebody who doesn't exist and expect one to accept this?"
So this hufty tufty mock outrage should be directed at Bliar or Clown. It's possible GK knew already, and he and the beeb are just doing what comes naturally to the deluded left - blaming others for their own decisions, whether on advice or not.He (GK) added:
"What extraordinary events are taking place in 10 Downing Street whereby they send letters from somebody who doesn't exist and expect one to accept this?"
Office computer-generated letters used to have the name of a senior manager at the end. When she moved on to a different post they kept her name on the letters so whenever someone rang up and said they had had a letter from her we immediately knew it was an 'automatic' letter. If they persisted in trying to speak to her we could explain that she did exist but was no longer connected with that part of the business.
turbobloke said:
Victor McDade said:
If the security threat is genuine then the practice itself seems okay for me. So long as they keep the fictional names constant and only associated with the actual person who wrote the letter.
Yes the security thing...aricle said:
A No 10 spokesman said real names had not been used on correspondence since 2005 for security reasons.
So it's a practice that began with Liarbore. In which case why are the beeb and a has-been painting it as something to do with the current lot?article said:
The admission came after Labour MP Sir Gerald Kaufman said he got a letter from No 10 signed by a "Mrs E Adams".
He (GK) added:
"What extraordinary events are taking place in 10 Downing Street whereby they send letters from somebody who doesn't exist and expect one to accept this?"
So this hufty tufty mock outrage should be directed at Bliar or Clown. It's possible GK knew already, and he and the beeb are just doing what comes naturally to the deluded left - blaming others for their own decisions, whether on advice or not.He (GK) added:
"What extraordinary events are taking place in 10 Downing Street whereby they send letters from somebody who doesn't exist and expect one to accept this?"
I would assume a similar system is used in other possible security risk departments.
Victor McDade said:
If the security threat is genuine then the practice itself seems okay for me. So long as they keep the fictional names constant and only associated with the actual person who wrote the letter.
This. I understand that an alias might be the best way, as long as it can always be traced back to the authorI'm not entirely happy that any government department should use false signatures. Surely the whole point of signing a letter is to qualify the letter as true. Why not end the letter with 'sent on behalf of H M Government communications dept' or whatever is appropriate and leave it at that. Why must the public be lied to on such a basic level.
Edited by colonel c on Thursday 12th May 10:34
colonel c said:
I'm not entirely happy that any government department should use false signatures. Surly the whole point of signing a letter is to qualify the letter as true. Why not end the letter with 'sent on behalf of H M Government communications dept' or whatever is appropriate and leave it at that. Why must the public be lied to on such a basic level.
Think I'm with you on this one. Simply anonymising the letter and using the "our ref" number to internally track who wrote it would probably have been better. I also found it striking that the PM's office introduced this at a time when Blair's pushing of the database state and gathering information about the populace was probably at its height.alangla said:
colonel c said:
I'm not entirely happy that any government department should use false signatures. Surly the whole point of signing a letter is to qualify the letter as true. Why not end the letter with 'sent on behalf of H M Government communications dept' or whatever is appropriate and leave it at that. Why must the public be lied to on such a basic level.
Think I'm with you on this one. Simply anonymising the letter and using the "our ref" number to internally track who wrote it would probably have been better. I also found it striking that the PM's office introduced this at a time when Blair's pushing of the database state and gathering information about the populace was probably at its height.See also TV Licensing, another user of fake people to "sign" letters.
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