Not the Obama Girl!

The No. 10 website’s latest initiative – Number10TV  - has been criticised by the press before it has even been re-launched. The basic premise is that it is a publicity stunt – designed to shore up Gordon Brown’s appeal rather than to engage citizens in any meaningful way.

Newsnight carried the story in its programme last night (I was a talking head – it can be downloaded via the previous link), suggesting that even when British politicians use new technologies, they don’t do as well as their American counterparts.

Political blogging - just for the Opposition?

A recent article in the Guardian reported that New Statesman co-owner Mike Danson has invested in LabourHome. His aim is to mobilise grass roots activism on the left which, until now, has not managed to gain the kind of online traction that popular rightwing/anti-establishment blogs such as Iain Dale, ConservativeHome and Guido Fawkes have achieved.

It would appear to be a lot easier to run a successful blog in opposition than when your party is in government. It is harder still when your party is an unpopular government. Talking up those in power doesn’t seem to be a successful recipe to attract readers, viewers or listeners. If the blog is a tool most successfully used in opposition then it will be interesting to see what impact the injection of new capital, resources and energy into LabourHome has on its popularity and reach.

e-Petitions planned for the House of Commons

The Leader of the House of Commons, Rt Hon Harriet Harman MP has announced plans to develop a Parliamentary e-Petitions system. The popularity of the 10 Downing Street e-Petitions site highlights a public appetite for political participation, despite the fact that disengagement is increasingly becoming the norm. The Hansard Society has long argued that public disconnection stems from government's failure to develop suitable processes for participation.

Blogging and freedom of expression

The internet is a valuable tool to connect people with like minds and it has been used extensively to raise awareness of oppression and anti-democratic practices around the world. But writing about your government can come at a high price and some bloggers expose themselves to real dangers every time they write. Even in the West, rules designed to ensure fairness at election time can limit the rights of bloggers.

Since when did eGovernment need the Royal Mail?

eGovernment is supposed to transform services, save time and money. However, it also has to make life easier for citizens. When the design of the system actually gets in the way, it’s a barrier to service delivery and likely to put users off.

Overcoming the ostrich approach to broadband

Broadband is a critical delivery medium for eDemocracy but Ofcom’s latest statistics suggest uptake has stalled in many places. Whilst it’s positive to see rural adoption increasing, overall we are still lagging well behind anything amounting to digital ubiquity. Until this is overcome, the benefits of eDemocracy will remain off-limits to many – and in some cities, to the majority.

Researching with Communities - new book published

Hansard Society eDemocracy Director, Andy Williamson, launched a new book at the end of April called Researching with Communities: Grounded perspectives on engaging communities in research. It provides guidance, examples and discussions for researchers that are aiming to promote a community voice in their work. This book looks at the issues from an international perspective with chapters drawn from a range of disciplines including; community development, mental health, migration and refugees, and community technology. It draws on the experiences of researchers and community practitioners to explore what community based research means in a variety of settings and how it can be carried out meaningfully, respectfully and inclusively.

Could eDemocracy make the democratic deficit worse?

The internet had a bit-part in last week’s local government elections but its importance in central and local government continues to increase. Those of us who advocate for eDemocracy as a way of increasing participation need to also consider strategies for getting more people online and using the internet effectively. Failure to do this could make the democratic deficit worse.

From government online to opposition online

MPs websites have matured from the simple and garish to being slick, template-driven and branded. In the UK, however, the rise in the use of the web has mirrored an era of political stability, with no change of government. Experience elsewhere suggests that when a party loses power the way its MPs use the web changes too. As the UK draws closer to a general election, political hopefuls are turning to online campaigning tools but are they on a level playing field or do incumbent MPs have a significant advantage?

Getting personal makes blogging a success

One month after launching, Lords of the Blog has exceeded our early expectations. It’s not just a passive place to learn about Britain’s upper house but has become somewhere that citizens can directly interact with peers in a way that wasn’t possible before. It's also been an eye opener for many in terms of how engaging and down-to-earth peers can be!