More than three million people have now signed e-petitions, one year after its launch on the Downing Street's website. But specialists are not convinced by its infuence on political decisions.
Professor Stephen Coleman, of Leeds University, one of the UK's most influential advocates of e-democracy, believes the site may be guilty of raising expectations it cannot fulfil. "What exactly happened to these e-petitions once they arrived inside the belly of the beast. Which minister looked at them? Which members of Parliament looked at them?" ask Prof. Coleman. Even if he conceded that the Downing Street site has been the most high-profile e-democracy project over the past 12 months, he thinks that, until some research is done into who is using it and what influence, if any, it has had on political decisions, it will remain nothing more than a "gimmick".
Online petitions were never meant to revolutionise democracy, argued Jimmy Leach, Downing Street's head of digital communication, but simply offer a digital alternative to the traditional trudge up Downing Street with a box full of signatures.
Unlike in Scotland, there is no direct line from a petition to a debate in the House of Commons or the House of Lords, because the law don't allow it.
The Conservatives have proposed allowing e-petitions to be debated in Parliament - and there are moves in this direction from the Commons modernisation committee.
Comments