A politician who wants his local paper to stop quoting him

Christopher Hawtree is a very unusual politician because he dislikes being quoted. The Green councillor, who has just been selected to fight for a parliamentary seat, has told a reporter on his local paper, the Brighton Argus, to stop approaching him after meetings.

Hawtree's request was revealed by Tim Ridgway, political correspondent for the Argus, in a tweet that said:

"Amused after @chrishawtree sends me email saying he 'dislikes' me asking him for quotes after meetings. Is that not a job of a local cllr?"

Hawtree tweeted in response: "I have a great dislike of the Argus readers' comments and so prefer to appear in other papers."

Wow! A touchy politician who doesn't like people entering into debate. I'm not certain the voters of Hove - the seat he will contest at the next general election - will agree with him on that.

Anyway, a swift look at Hawtree's Twitter account suggests he doesn't like the Argus at all. I see he describes it as "dreadful" and "hateful", advises that it is "not wise to speak to the Argus" and is "aghast at the misrepresentation of the Argus."

So, given that the city of Brighton & Hove is served by only one title, what "other papers" does he prefer? The New York Times, evidently, because he urges his followers to sign up for a subscription.

(For the record, the Grey Lady's most recent article on the city was a charming travel piece in September 2008, but Hawtree will be relieved to know he wasn't quoted).

Hawtree complaint is not so much about the paper as about the supposedly "disgusting" readers' comments. Sure, they can be upsetting (though sensible moderation should be employed to remove genuinely offensive material).

But a thin-skinned politician who refuses to counter public ignorance by not speaking to the press is surely compounding the problem. He should reconsider.

Sources: HoldTheFrontPage/Brighton Argus