Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Has the use of the internet for e-democracy just become an election issue?
Tories Pledge £1 Million For 'Crowdsourced Policy'
The Conservative Party is offering a possible £1 million prize – to be taken from the Cabinet Office budget should they win this year’s general election – to any software developer who can create an online platform that harnesses 'the collective wisdom of the British people" to produce innovative social policy ideas. If the party fails to win the election, or a suitable tool does not emerge, the prize will not be awarded.
Cabinet Office Minister Tessa Jowell labelled the idea a "PR gimmick", however, saying in a statement: "Labour already makes full use of collaboration and social networking technologies to consult with people."
"makes full use of collaboration and social networking technologies to consult with people".
Sorry Tessa, not in the world I inhabit it doesn't. I'm not sure what social networking technologies she's referring to; certainly not inconvenient ones over which there can be no control......like this one.
There are a growing number of sites like this around the country and few, if any are used by local councils as consultation tools.
I do hope this can become a bit of an election issue now.
I'll drop Claire Kober & David Lammy a line. I wonder what they have to say? I wonder what they're prepared to do to make reality match up to Tessa Jowells' claim.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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I doubt it's an election gimmick. My worry is that it's a serious proposal. Perhaps encouraged by net guru Tom Steinberg whose self-description on MySociety website includes:
“. . . founder and director of mySociety . . . that runs many of the best-known democracy websites in the UK. These include the Parliamentary transparency website TheyWorkForYou and the somewhat self-explanatory FixMyStreet. mySociety’s missions are to build websites which give people simple, tangible benefits in the democratic and community aspects of their lives, and which teach the public and voluntary sector how they can use technology better to help citizens."
Unfortunately, such hugely overblown claims may lead all three main parties to look for simple technical solutions to complex problems ─ such as: (1) getting organisations to be far more open and responsive; (2) enabling all of us as citizens to build sound judgements about policy options.
(As required by HoL rules, please note that I am a Labour councillor.)
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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I want members of political parties to formulate policy, set out their stall as such. Come election time I should vote according to whose policies match my desires best. As it stands I end up voting along ideological lines and policy is something I just have to lump.
Websites like this are for making politicians stick to their promises, not helping them work out which promises to make.
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