Democracy in action
Unlike the USA, it is possible to get one's opinions heard to the British government without a significant financial outlay, either in the form of bribes, lobbyists, or both. For years, lunatics with strong opinions and too much time on their hands have been delivering their own personal manifestos to No. 10 Downing Street in the time-honoured form of petitions.
Thankfully, the process has now been technologically streamlined, and now anyone can set up and sign and e-petition on the 10 Downing Street website. This saves the postal service, and all that tedious messing around on cold street corners trying to persuade other lunatics of the validity of one's cause. You don't need to justify your petition, or even (as far as I can tell) have to be a UK citizen.
Have fun with it - prizes are up for the longest statement, the most votes, and the most original cause.
NB The Terms and Conditions expressly forbid use of the publicly-funded site for frivolous or non-serious purposes. While that raises the question of what the hell Tory backbenchers are paid for if not for frivolity, I cannot and would not, ever, under any circumstances, condone the use of the site for mere entertainment. For example the creation of a nationally owned themepark, AnthraxWorld, at the Porton Down biological warfare research facility, or the annexation of northern France. Somebody's already proposed the reintroduction of public flogging, but I have a feeling that they may have been serious
posted by Captain Fastrousers @ 1:03 pm
4 Comments:
Are you sure anyone actually reads the petitions? Unlike with your blog of course. Seriously.
I read the petitions - I take the democratic process very seriously. As to whether anyone in government reads them, I suspect it's all a ruse by MI5 to flush out a few dangerous lunatics.
They'd probably do just as well scanning The Daily Mail letters to the editor.
Hi Will, Jonathan here, your nephew from motherland England. Just posted a petition, Green-law, wanting wind or solar generators encorporated as building regs on all new homes in the UK. Can't see it happening though, Labour only seem interested in spoiling everyones fun!
Don't if you've heard, but there's been a row about 'big brother', might make an interesting entry for you, although it is a complete load of absolute bullocks,and Channel 4 and all those who watch it deserve to be hung drawn and bloody quatered!
Anyway, hows you? Life over here is going well for me anyway. Just had an offer from the RVC and i've got an interview at Nottingham soon, don't know whether dad told you? Anyway, from the streetz of minehead, 'keep it real bruv!'* and its back to the books for me (got a chemistry exam on tuesday).
*honestly, the youth of minehead have not got a clue - there has been a recent increase in the amount of 'tough yobs', but to be honest i've seen a harder lettuce that as been in the back of the fridge for a fortnight, slowly wilting!
Excellent, a truly insane notion that's pund to pique the interest of the Labour Party mandarins.
I mean really, solar panels and wind turbines on every home, it's a bit far-fetched. You might as well suggest compulsory ID cards linked to a government database of all financial records.
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