Orange Future of Politics report shows how technology could save British democracy

London, 8 December 2008: The Orange Future of Politics report, to be launched in Parliament this week, will show how British politicians can learn from the US election and embrace technology to bring public involvement back into UK democracy.

The report, developed with trends experts Future Laboratory, brings together ideas from MPs, bloggers, think-tanks, academics and from Orange itself.

The key findings of the report include:

• A challenge to UK politicians to keep up with a new generation of ‘digital natives' who expect MPs to get up to date with 21st century technology so they can have two-way meaningful conversations with the public and not just a one way online presence through a static website.

• Citizen politicians could be at the heart of the political process, both on the internet and in Parliament. In the future Prime Minister's Questions may allow a regular slot where the public can ask questions about the issues of the day.

• Wikilaws will allow the public and experts to have their say on legislation. MPs and the public will be able to keep in touch with debate and scrutiny in real-time.

• MPs can matter more, leading online campaigns and bringing government direct to the public. Digital technologies will place MPs at the heart of their constituencies and allow instant multichannel communication between constituents and public services to solve surgery problems.

• The political long tail must be grabbed. Obama raised $280 million in small donations under $200, demonstrating the dramatic impact new technology has on the political process. British political parties will have to follow this lead and rely once again on mass participation not a few small donors.

Speaking about the new report, Aleyne Johnson of Orange said: ‘Orange believes that technology brings people together, in politics as much as elsewhere. Politics needs to address the issues that matter to the public, and allow them a chance to contribute. Thanks to the internet people are already building the politics they want. It is now time for politicians to join in.'

Tom Savigar, Director of Future Laboratory, said: ‘Obama has really shown the way ahead. In the US election we saw en-masse small-scale donations and we saw decentralised campaigning, where activists themselves fed canvass returns straight into the politician's online database. There was real integration of communications and data technology — Obama's people had wrist devices which could take a donation and send you follow-up email or text within minutes.'

Blogger Iain Dale, who was interviewed for the report, said: 'Digital technology can make a difference. I have many younger readers who say that my blog has interested them in national politics. MPs need to be bold and put themselves at the heart of this process — in blogs, in online discussion and online campaigns.'