Politics and political discussion, opinion and information from Rob Hopcott
A good question for the popular BBC Question Time program, chaired by David Dimbleby:
Should Prime Minster Gordon Brown introduce e-democracy forums in 2007 to allow people to really have a say in the running of the country and as a means of making the British people feel more involved in Government.
Official UK Parliamentary Discussion Forums would combat electoral apathy and perhaps even terrorism refers
The most important single thing that needs to be done today is to open governmental and think tank web sites to comments from the public.
Laughably, I have seen many think tanks and governmental policy organisations trumpeting the benefits of open government and e-democracy yet their web sites have little or no interactivity.
They should practice what they preach!
However, there is enormous resistance among many MPs, Local Authority Councillors, Governmental organisations and even think tanks to any involvement from the public.
Elected representatives all too often seem to take the view that, once the electorate has voted, the elected representatives should be left to get on with the job without being bothered by the British public.
Think tank members seem to think that only the great and good can make a sensible argument.
Governmental consultation systems are hierarchical, exclusive and unauditable by contributers.
Even Governmental Departments often just don’t bother to reply to difficult questions.
Letters to MPs and Councillors go unanswered, especially if they involve complicated issues.
The fact is that the systems of democratic procedure are weighted in favour of those that have the power or money to lobby whereas ordinary people, however strong their arguments, have little direct say or influence.
No wonder there is voter apathy when so little regard is paid to public comments.
However, it has to be said that, with the present systems, there would be massive inefficiency and duplication, if all comments and communications were given detailed answers by Councillors, MPs and Governmental Departments.
Systems therefore need to be set up to enable wiki style knowledge bases alongside legislative discussion forums which openly include MPs, Councillors, lobby groups and the public.
Open source software has show us the way to organise this!
Let’s create a society where it is the quality of the argument that wins the debate and all legislation is forensically analysed in public by the best minds of our time (elected or not).
Open e-Democracy and the ‘collective intelligence’ of the British people are the best way to put the Great back in Britain.
Let’s get started now!
What do you think? Your comments are welcomed.
Bye for now
Rob
(Rob Hopcott – online author)
According to Open Democracy Our Kingdom
Jack Straw leader of the House of Commons and Gordon Brown’s campaign manager has come out for a written constitution
and
In his [Jack Straw's] brief conclusion he said he was now convinced a written constitution was needed to ensure good citizenship.
These words suggest that the Government’s idea of a written constitution is just another opportunity to tell us how the Government thinks we should behave. In other words, obligations not rights.
But why doesn’t Jack Straw and, presumably, George Brown give us something we actually want ie. useful and constructive rights which will enable the public to help make their lives better?
If we really are to have a written constitution, let’s include the right by the public to have a direct say in their own government through e-democracy.
Official Downing Street discussion forums where the public could use their collective intelligence to solve the big issues of today would be a genuine step forward and indicate a willingness to undergo constructive change by Brown’s prospective Government.
Jack Straw and George Brown should set up these forums so that we can discuss the rights we actually want as opposed to the complicated morass of restrictions that even lawyers have great difficulty understanding these days, let alone the people.
Submitting a proposed written constitution to forensic public discussion would show that Straw and Brown actually care about finding real solutions to real problems.
Let’s get tough on the causes of bad government! Start by genuinely talking to the people.
What do you think?
Rob
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