Archive for May 2009
Visual aids in Parliament?
I wrote last year about the insanity of the annual Budget speech(es), in which the Chancellor stands up and reads off a list of numbers. In business, you'd never contemplate doing that without some kind of visual aid. But come on, visual aids in Parliament? Let me take you to Canberra, where there's been an [...] read on »
i can has ur vote?
It took me a while to spot it... but now I'm totally convinced our local Lib Dems are taking their design cues from icanhascheezburger. read on »
Cameron's online promises
The explicit references to the internet in David Cameron's big speech on 'fixing broken politics' this morning don't come until the end. All MPs' expenses to be published online; the same will go for 'all other public servants earning over £150,000'. An Obama-esque pledge to put all national spending over £25,000 online. A commitment to [...] read on »
Watson to quit at reshuffle?
A blink-and-you'll-miss-it line from the Sunday Times at the weekend: 'Tom Watson, the Cabinet Office minister wrongly accused of involvement in the Damian McBride smear e-mails, will return to the back benches. He has told friends he is exhausted by government and wants to see more of his two children.' I've got no inside track [...] read on »
New LabourHome, flashy Libertas
A couple of interesting developments in online political campaigning in the last few days. LabourHome has finally had its long-needed rebuild and refresh - moving, hurrah!, to WordPress. And Libertas are offering a Flash-based tool for user-generated adverts. read on »
Douglas Carswell's open politics
Conservative MP Douglas Carswell has been a key player in the historic Parliamentary events of the last few days, but his view of its implications goes far beyond the Speaker's handling of expenses claims. I wrote before about his challenging views at a recent Hansard Society event; he talks, very convincingly, about the need - [...] read on »
Lords committee on online engagement
Did you know the House of Lords is currently inviting opinions on how it, and Parliament generally, can relate better to the public? No? Neither did I, which kind of proves something in itself. It's the Lords' Information Committee, it's called People And Parliament... and it closes in two days. The deadline for full written [...] read on »
'Safe hands' Stott fails to inspire – so far
Well, we didn't see that one coming, did we? The Cabinet Office ultimately plumped for an internal candidate in its search for a Director of Digital Engagement; Andrew Stott has worked there since September 2004. The new role was 'created to take forward the Power of Information agenda', the press release helpfully notes; but in [...] read on »
Andrew Stott named as Director of Digital Engagement
Just announced by the Cabinet Office: Cabinet Office man Andrew Stott, Deputy Government CIO and chair of the CTO Council has been announced as the new £120k/yr Director of Digital Engagement. An appointment from the government IT angle, rather than the social media angle. Hmm. The Cabinet Office press release plays up his Whitehall seniority [...] read on »
ONS drops jobs data early
I've actually got a lot of sympathy for the team at the Office for National Statistics today. This morning should have seen the release of the monthly unemployment numbers; but due (apparently) to 'a computer error on automated systems', they leaked out yesterday - and ONS took the decision to bring forward the official publication. [...] read on »