Report one
※Commons Call for Democracy Commision
to Tackle Civic Crisis※
A
Report by PASC-The House of Commons Public Administration Select Committee-today
calls for the establishment of a Democracy Commission to combat the
crisis in public participation in government. PASC points to the record
low turnout in June's General Election-just 59 per cent.-as evidence
of widespread "civic disengagement".
Other
forms of public consultation-including the Government's polling by
the People's Panel-are also seen by the Committee as failing to increase
citizens' involvement in decision-making.
The comments
come as part of the Committee's follow-up to its April 2001 Report
on Public Participation, to which the Government has now replied.
The Government Response is also included in the Report.
The
Committee says:
"Not
since the extension of the suffrage in 1918 has there been such a
low level of participation in the electoral process. The reasons for
it may be debated, but not its seriousness for our democracy. We find
it extraordinary that this collapse in electoral participation, put
alongside other evidence on civic disengagement, has not been treated
as a civic crisis demanding an appropriate response. Political life
has simply continued as if nothing has happened. We believe that a
Democracy Commission should be established as a matter of urgency
to consider how this crisis can be responded to constructively and
with imagination, and we believe that our Report makes a contribution
to this process."
The
Committee continues:
"These
subjects are vitally important to the proper functioning of democracy,
and we will be returning to them shortly. We will be seeking oral
evidence from a Minister on the Government Response, so that we can
be reassured that the Government is tackling the issue of public participation
with the seriousness and urgency that are required." cont.../
NOTE 1. On 5 April 2001 the Committee published its Sixth Report of
Session 2000-01, entitled Public Participation: Issues and Innovations
(HC 373-I). The Government has now responded, and the new Report (First
Report HC 334) contains that Response as well as further comments
from the Committee.
1.
On 5 April 2001 the Committee published its Sixth Report of Session
2000-01, entitled Public Participation: Issues and Innovations (HC
373-I). The Government has now responded, and the new Report (First
Report HC 334) contains that Response as well as further comments
from the Committee.
Enquiries
about the work of the Committee:
Public Administration
Committee,
House of Commons,
London SW1A 0AA
Telephone: 020-7219
3284
Fax: 020-7219 6864
E-mail:
pubadmincom@parliament.uk
©Parliamentary copyright 2001 Last updated: 6 November 2001
Thanks
Report two
Updated
Proposals for Political Websites Accreditation
Updated Proposals for Political Websites Accreditation
By
ELECTORAL
EDUCATION Ltd
A company Limited by Guarantee
※ELECT§
Originators of Impartial Election Educational Websites
www.ElectionsUK.org
www.EuroReferendum.org
Author
Richard A Bellamy
Executive Secretary
Electoral Education Ltd
rbellamy@ElectionsUK.org
P.O.BOX 413
Grimsby DN34 5WU
To be submitted to
ODPM
The e-Envoy
The Electoral Commission
House of Commons Public Administration Select Committee
The Hansard Society
HMSO 每 Copyright Issues
October 2002
Current Situation
The Internet has arrived with all its imperfections and benefits,
whatever is thought about it ※It is not going to go away§
therefore we have to decide how we can best turn its existence into
a useful tool.
One obvious use is in the political arena to communicate with and
educate the electorate in a way unthought-of in the past
If it is to be used effectively many issues need to be addressed as
Laws and Regulations concerning its best use are lagging behind.
Issues such as Copyright Issues and Candidates expenses need to be
addressed.
Dr Stephen Coleman leader of the Hansard Society e-democracy programme
reported on the US 2001 elections in ※What Was New? Online Innovations
in the 2000 US elections§.
In this he addresses many issues regarding web sites their use and
misuse. Bogus web sites and the large number of US sites generally
were mentioned. The large number of spoof sites was mentioned with
sites apparently supporting one candidate but effectively undermining
them
In the UK we have, as yet comparatively few election websites and
now is the time to see if a form of order can be achieved, if we are
to guide people to what information is prime and which has been ※tuned§
to an opinion or view.
Proposal
Any electoral website should apply to have an ※Accreditation§
to allow the electorate to see sites that are impartial, general or
with view of a political party.
Categories
could be
1) Political Party showing allegiance.
2) Specialist views i.e. ※Yes§ or NO§
Cross Party in the Euro Referendum
3) General 每 for Newspapers etc.,
or
4) Impartial Information and Educational Controlled
Sites.
Each
Category would have its own ※Seal of Accreditation§ stating
the intended aim of each site.
If a
site contravenes it*s Accreditation its ※Seal§ would
automatically disappear and could be replaced with a different Seal
or a red X showing this is not accredited.
The different
Accreditations could have different parameters with a very high standard
of supervision being required of Impartial Sites, which could include
premoderation of Chat Rooms, Discussion Boards and Audio, & video
content and post moderation for the rest of the site.
Benefits
每 To Electorate and Country
A potential Voter would have a better opportunity to assess the veracity
of the information included enabling a better understanding of the
issues from impartial and party political points of view.
To encourage more people to be less cynical about the political system
as they would have, with the Impartial Site a more accurate balanced
view of issues.
Impartial accreditation would be helpful to give Returning Officers
more confidence to co-operate with the site.
The use of Impartial website accreditation could assist the educational
establishment by allowing access to information for instance for the
National Curriculum 每 Citizenship without being accused of political
bias.
The use of accreditation could be used to stop abuse of UK domain
names by Code of Practice or legislation stating that any political
website should be accredited and if it were not so, Nominet would
withdraw the domain.
Benefits
每 To Website owner
It might be possible to arrange certain advantages for being accredited
such as
1) Permission to include items from other sites that
would otherwise be under copyright. I.e. Her Majesty*s Stationary
Office.
2) Being Accredited as Impartial could confer rights
to advance access to information under the control of the Returning
Officer, to allow site preparation. The launch of that site / information
is at the agreement of the Returning Officer.
3) By being Accredited might confirm the position
i.e. as Newspapers to be able to add information from the candidates
that was officially accepted as NOT being part of their election expenses.
Who
should issue and monitor the accreditation
It is important that the Accrediting authority should be seen to be
impartial. Control of this might be held by the Electoral Commission,
who might then delegate its powers to an organisation such as the
Hansard Society or the new impartial Electoral Education Ltd.
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