Digital Pledges | Tom Watson MP

During the May 2010 general election I stood on a platform that called for changes to Britain’s digital policy. http://www.thestraightchoice.org/leaflets/4924/ A number of people, predominantly from the digital sector helped me draw up a list of digital pledges. These formed the basis of a mini manifesto that was distributed to a number of homes in my constituency.

The pledges are listed below.

I’ve started to add links to some of the work I’ve done around each pledge. The plan is that by the next general election, I’ll be able to show progress in each area.

If you have any ideas about how I can further contribute to achieving these pledges, or you’ve spotted something I’ve done that contributes to this agenda that warrants a link, please feel free to get in touch at watsont@parliament.uk

Best wishes

Tom Watson MP
June 2010

1. I will support the right of every UK citizen to connect to the Internet.

Signed EDM 25 May 2010 – Repeal of Section 9 -18 of the Digital Economy Act 2010

2. There is no more fundamental right than that to free speech.

Written Question 15 June 2010 – Press Freedom in Thailand

EDM 10 June 2010 – Press Freedom in Thailand

3. The Internet should be built and operated openly without discrimination.

News 21 June 2010 – Open Standard Data Releases

Proposed EDM 7 July 2010 – Universal Internet access and opening up of mobile spectrum for greater capacity

Proposed EDM 17 November 2010 – Net neutrality priciple

News 4 Jan 2011 – Concern over BT’s Content Connect system.

4. We should have a right to control our data.

House of Commons debate 9 June 2010 – Identity Documents Bill

5. I will always support transparency.

Signed EDM 7 June 2010 – Publication of Salaries and Remuneration Packages of persons paid from public funds.

6. I believe that copyright and software patent laws should be reformed to reflrect needs of citizens in the Internet age.

7. I will support measures to bring non-personal public sector data and government funded research into the public domain.

House of Commons debate 9 June 2010 – Publishing of non-personal data held by Government departments.

House of Commons debate 17 June 2010 – Publishing of bus and rail timetables in open format.

Written Question 5 July 2010 – Transparency Board regarding publication of public data.

Written Question 12 July 2010 – Request to publish the KPMG consultation into NHS Choices and NHS Direct. They wouldn’t for a while but we eventually got hold of it via Freedom of Information and published it here.

Proposed EDM 7 July 2010 – Government data should be published in an open standard machine readable format.

Publication – 5 August 2010 – Comprehensive list of all nhs.uk domain names.

8. I will use my role as an MP to support international free expression movements.

News 29 November 2010 – Letter to Colombian Ambassador regarding murders of journalists

Written Question 15 June 2010 – Press Freedom in Thailand

Proposed EDM 11 January 2011 – Concern about state sponsored phishing attacks by the Tunisian government.

9. Elected representatives have a responsibility to understand how the digital space can be used to design public services, develop public policy and engage citizens in law-making.

Comment 24 November 2010 – Government reform of DirectGov and direction of how government delivers web services.

Supported a bid to provide basic social media and online engagement training to MPs.

10. Procurement rules must be reformed, so that small and medium sized companies and open-source solutions can play a greater role in delivering Government IT.

Written Question 6 July 2010 – Procurement of new governmental websites

Written Question 8 July 2010 -To place a copy of the Cabinet Office’s report on the usability, cost and quality of Government websites in the House of Commons Library.

via tom-watson.co.uk