Plans for public to petition parliament online

[Noreen]

Members of the public are set to be allowed to petition the House of Commons over the internet, it was announced today.

And the authors of the most significant petitions could be called to give evidence to MPs in person and see the issues they raise debated in the Commons' subsidiary chamber Westminster Hall................

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/plans-for-public-to-petition-parliament-online-874562.html

[Rik]

The cynic in me expects that they will be heard no more loudly than petitions to No. 10, especially with just one day a year set aside for them, but let's hope.

[Inactive]

Sadly I tend to agree Rik, deaf ear syndrome prevails.

[merlin]

IF it did work, it would be a step towards accountabilty, and that is NOT allowed by MP's

[Rik]

Exactly, Bob. It's throwing us a virtual crust, nothing more.

[madasahatter]

I'm struggling to find a reason for them doing this - they already have the number 10 site where you can start, and sign up to, loads of petitions already. Nothing more than a PR exercise really

[Rik]

It's a pure PR exercise, Mad, nothing more than smoke and mirrors.

[Inactive]

  Just to let us plebs think that we have some kind of input to what happens, nothing could be further from the truth.

[madasahatter]

Just to let us plebs think that we have some kind of input to what happens, nothing could be further from the truth.

The thing is that the illusion never lasts very long. Virtually every reply I have seen to a petition on there basically says something along the lines of "we have considered this carefully, but it's a damned stupid idea so go away and stop bothering us because we know far better than you" 

[Inactive]

Exactly Mad.

[Rik]

The thing is that the illusion never lasts very long. Virtually every reply I have seen to a petition on there basically says something along the lines of "we have considered this carefully, but it's a damned stupid idea so go away and stop bothering us because we know far better than you" 

Be fair, Mad. Sometimes they just prevaricate.

[madasahatter]

Be fair, Mad. Sometimes they just prevaricate.

But what I want to know is whether the Government got that kind of answer from the BBC, or vice versa - it's pretty much identical to the type of replies you get from the Beeb innit?

[Rik]

They probably hired the BBC as consultants! 

[madasahatter]

They probably hired the BBC as consultants! 

Wouldn't surprise me