The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, is to go live on the Internet later this month, becoming the first prime minister to conduct an on-line question and answer session. Later today Downing Street will announce Mr Blair's "cyber-grilling" when it reopens the No. 10 Website, including a revival of Mr John Major's "virtual reality" tour of the Prime Minister's residence.
The Internet question and answer session is the brainchild of Mr Blair's spin doctor team, aimed at showing the Prime Minister as being "modern, up-to-date " and "taking a world lead for Britain."
In fact Mr Blair, unlike his children, hardly knows the difference between a modem and a microchip and prefers sending handwritten notes to his top officials. Mr Tim Allen, Downing Street's youngest spin doctor, admitted yesterday: "The Prime Minister is no computer buff. He didn't have that sort of education in his day. His own children know far more than he does."
Nevertheless, Britain's six million Internet users will be asked to send in their questions which will sifted by an independent journalist appointed by Downing Street before they are put to Mr Blair.
Spin doctors were yesterday promising that the event, on April 29th, will not be stage managed and there would be room for off-the-cuff responses.
The plan is to have the Internet interview session live on TV with questions sent in by e-mail to the Downing Street Website. The questioners will get spoken answers from Mr Blair. Mr Blair's advisers hope if the event goes well it will be repeated and expanded to include other members of the Cabinet.