I suppose that one advantage of being demoted from Foreign Minister to opposition backbencher is that you all of a sudden have a bunch of time on your hands. Some politicians write memoirs, some take up golf, and others start blogs.

From this week onwards I’ll be writing a blog on current issues in Mayo and beyond. You can send me an E Mail and tell me what you think as it’s important for me to get feedback.

As opposed to some other politicians’ “blogs” this one is an actual blog, in that it allows comments (although I’m not sure if they’re moderated.) The few entries so far tend to be long and thoughtful pieces on a range of topics, which is admirable regardless of one’s stance on Downer’s politics. However, as the friend who sent me a link to this blog said in her email “I can’t tell you how much joy this is bringing to my life especially as so many begin with ‘just last week I was talking to [insert former world leader].”

Here are some choice quotes from some of the posts.

Last Wednesday I caught up with an old friend, Chris Patten. He was the last British Governor of Hong Kong…

My putter is Korean. It was given to me by Ban Ki Moon, the Secretary General of the United Nations after I cleaned him up on a splendid course in Seoul.

18 months ago I arrived at the Elysee Palace in Paris and was greeted on the front steps by President Chirac.

Over breakfast with Madeleine Albright…

This week I asked Condi Rice if she was backing a horse in this race.

I look forward to reading more of Alexander Downer’s name-dropping blog-of-showing-off.