Well I will be off for the weekend so before I do we'd better get this post done I think.
Something that has concerned me for a good while in modern politics is the manner representatives communicate information to others
Instances that stick out in my mind were the Tameside Labour Whats App group that verbally insulted members of the public who complained about various policies that also included a Member of Parliament where no member ever questioned what was being said within that group.
It was as of they'd forgotten the responsibility that comes with political office and were just like students taking the mickey out of those they represent and ignorant that they had in effect published remarks which carry the same constraints in law as in publication such as a election leaflet.
Of course this week the totally bizarre world of Donald Trump's administration has been in the news again for using Signal, an app to discuss military action around the Somali coast as shipping makes its way towards the Suez Canal.
While the plans were not technically restricted in most circumstances given it was a live operation it would of been "Classified".
Apart from the odd idea to add a reporter to this group, one member was working in Moscow on talks so would having this on end of his smartphone be great?
Even more troubling was the casual banality of the discussion that didn't show any awareness that you were committing U.S. forces lives to actions that could result in loss of life, much of the comments being more suited to the chat room of a gaggle of kids playing war games.
Thirdly, government decisions are Confidential: I had to go on data handling courses to make sure I know the levels of confidentiality, how to carry documents, procedures if anything were lost and yes keeping your mouth shut yet they're just yapping away.
The numbers of times I see ministers here breaching the very guidance we were given and faced a "dressing down" for if we made a mistake is shocking.
Given the administrations reaction to this with flat out lies, you might wonder if that sign has any truth in it