Now this is very interesting. And right up Labour’s alley (sounds better when you say it than when you write it).
A UK Hansard Society report – Parliament 2020: visioning the future Parliament – asking first-time voters, parliamentarians and parliament officials about their visions for a future Parliament found that all groups wanted to see Parliament using new technologies to more actively engage with citizens.
The top priorities for all three groups (first-time voters, parliamentary officials and MPs and Peers) were:
- Greater use of new technologies
- Interactive communication
The main concern of MPs and Peers was the modernisation of procedures in Parliament, and while parliamentary officials, MPs and Peers prioritised access to information, first-time voters prioritised:
- Education and outreach
- Transparency and accountability
- Diversity of representatives
In the wake of the recent expenses scandals, this report follows a sea-change in British politics where the whole political system is now subject to a level of interest and scrutiny not seen before and this includes the inner workings of Parliament.
The recommendations were that Parliament:
- modernise an institution that is steeped in tradition but sometimes constrained by its own history and culture;
- provide information in more understandable and usable formats;
- harness the potential of new technologies; and
- better engage the public, particularly about how they can influence the legislative process.
Leaving aside the negative cynical stuff about politicians, this is heartening in that such a survey is conducted, that it may be taken seriously, and that people are articulating what they want: open-ness and transparency.
PS: In case you don’t know, Peers are Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount, and Baron. Not sure why they got asked (PPS: that’s meant to be a joke)
