back to article Gov reduces e-petitions to public spleen-venting exercise

MPs don't have time to debate the public's e-petitions, a senior minister said yesterday in Parliament, adding nonetheless that it was a nice way for people to express what they was interested in. The e-petitions website hasn't quite delivered the utopian future of internet-democracy some might have hoped – out of the five …

COMMENTS

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    MPs doing what the public wants?! What a crazy idea. It'll never catch on.

  2. Richard Taylor 2
    Devil

    hmmmm

    Remarkable how difficult topics won't get the time, but easy, relatively non contentious ones will. The usual political stitch up. Fool you if you believed the lying bastards.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Another broken promise

    And another blow to public perception. Chicken!

  4. Willington

    not only will it be debated but it will be made into law, because the public has spoken

    What do you think this is? A fucking democracy or something?

    1. The Commenter formally known as Matt
      Stop

      democracy != 100,000 people making a law

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        democracy != 100,000 people making a law

        No one said it did, but

        100,000 sparking democratic debate owing to their being a significant percentage of the population === democracy.

  5. J.G.Harston Silver badge

    "The ... e-petition, to withdraw benefits from anyone convicted of involvement in London's riots,"

    What if they haven't got any benefits to withdraw?

    1. The Commenter formally known as Matt
      Trollface

      "What if they haven't got any benefits to withdraw?"

      thats just crazy talk

  6. Graham Marsden
    Thumb Down

    "It is a mechanism for...

    "...making it look as if we give a damn what the public wants and let's them think that by signing a petition something will actually change."

    There, fixed it for you.

    Seriously, though, if you want to at least have a chance of anyone paying any attention to you, write to or e-mail your MP via http://www.theyworkforyou.com

    1. Keep Refrigerated
      FAIL

      +1

      The only shock to me is that there are people still out there that think e-petitions was anything but a way of channeling protest and petitioning off the streets and onto a bulletin board that can essentially be ignored.

      Most people are placated when they feel like they are being heard, it matters not whether the listener gives a damn.

  7. James 100

    Petitions can work...

    ... but they need to be enshrined in law as a way to BYPASS politicians, like in Switzerland and California - if they get a chance to override the electorate, they'll use it.

    Very simple change: reach 100,000 valid signatures, the question gets put to the electorate within 2 years. The majority vote on that issue is then law, and can only be overturned by a subsequent referendum - no politician tinkering permitted.

    Simple question for them: should this be a democracy, where they do what we want, or the opposite, where we do their bidding? They pay just enough lip service to the former, but it's pretty obviously they're really after the latter - and all too successful at getting it.

  8. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Thumb Up

    Surprisingingly *honest*

    Although did anyone doubt this was about the level that it was designed for?

    Thumbs up for the "We just want people to feel they have had a chance to let us know how they feel, rather than us actually *do* anything about it" tone.

  9. Bluenose
    Devil

    Let the mob rule

    The idea that just because 100K people sign a petition means it should become law terrifies me. The idea that such a small mob should have such power is incredible. Then someone suggests that we should commit to allowing such things to go to a full referendum is suggested and again the thought terrifies me that people who have no real understanding of the facts or impacts of their simplistic ideas should have the right to create ignorant and probably xenophobic laws (e.g. Swiss law on banning minarets). And then I though hang on these same people are the ones who tell me that everyone in the UK wants a referendum on the EU and yet ever they get to vote for that every 5 years or so at the General Election and thus far, Nigel Farage is still not Prime Minister. May be allowing the people to vote in referenda more frequently is not such a bad thing.

    But I always thought that the e-petitions web site was a farce simply because there are about 100 petitions on the same subject all with about 10 votes. No way was it ever really designed to work.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Facepalm

    Democracy

    Who has time for it

  11. LarsG

    BE HONEST.....

    They don't listen anyway, best if you just put your head down the toilet and shout loudly for all the good it will do. Self serving bunch of cretins.

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Please carry on filing epetitions...

    ... while we carry on ignoring them.

    Oh, gosh, I was afraid something would change. I give the politicians one clear warning: if they ever threatened to pull out the plug on the epetitions they ignore, I'll start a epetition requesting for the website to remain live. Oh wait, aren't they using my tax money to ignore me?

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    The MPs have other issues they want to debate?

    100,000 people can be ignored so an MP can persue his own interests?

    I guess Tony Blair's "I won't be told what to do" speech should have softened the blow but at some point these guys are going to have to visit planet earth and check in with the rest of us.

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    not buying it

    MPs can find time to appear on quiz shows, comment on the latest popidol wannabe Jedbo, attend sporting commities for events we can't afford, don't want and clearly aren't going to get but can't find the time to do their jobs?

  15. Delbert

    PR exercise

    If you had any dealings with this huge waste of time and resources under the previous government you would have no doubt what it was. Even petitions with massive support were ignored with subscribers receiving platitudes via email which said in a nutshell what the govt's policy was, that they were elected and no matter how many told them where to stick it they had the mandate and thanks for being gullible. I had hoped the new govt would have allowed free votes on matters of great concern but it doesn't really look like it.

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