Site that aims to take the country online finds controversy

While British Prime Minister Tony Blair meets in Washington with President Bush, he can be confident that at least some of the British press will be on his side. The Blair’s government this week has launched a new website to give the public 24-hour access to government news, information and services. The Website, UKonline.co.uk, has already encountered controversy in the notoriously biting British press. The Sunday Times newspaper accused the government of offering biased news and nothing more than propaganda from Downing Street, Blair’s office and residence. The website’s operators countered that they have ensured impartiality by recruiting journalists who will produce unbiased news. Politics aside, however, Blair’s cabinet has heralded UKonline as “a major step forward in coordination across government.” The effort is clearly aimed at Britain’s quickly growing online audience. Estimates show that over 21 million people in Britain — slightly under half the population — are using the Internet, each spending an average of 6 hours per month online.