An independent intending to stand in the general election in Hackney South and Shoreditch, East London, is promising to use ‘Direct Digital Democracy’ if elected and vote the way the majority of his constituents want each time there’s a vote in Parliament.

Would you like the opportunity to make your views in Hedge End felt on every issue voted on in Westminster?

Danny de la Haye has set up a website called Getavote and on which he promises to put a poll for every vote coming up in Parliament. He says, ‘Every voter living in Hackney South and Shoreditch will have a login for the site, and will be able to vote in the polls using their computer or their mobile phone. Whatever the majority vote is, I will vote that way.’

Do you think this could work – and work here in Hedge End?

Is a system like this open to abuse – hacking? Or voters registering more than once? Or the views of cranks?

Could you trust the elected MP to be true to the polls’ results?

Danny de la Haye specifies three occasions on which he’ll vote not in accordance with a poll result – if it would mean him voting against improving equality, civil liberties, and democracy. Is this effectively a ‘get out of jail free card’?

And would the average voter have time to mug up on all the information required to make a balanced decision on every vote to be taken in Parliament?

Would it mean that rather than selecting an MP who would best represent the interests of the constituency as a whole ‘Direct Digital Democracy’ would result in the few that could be bothered representing (and not necessarily with best interests at heart) the apathetic majority.

Or is it really a means of extending a say in the running of the country to the people?

We’d love to hear your views at Hedgeendpeople!

Photo of the Houses of Parliament by SaffyH from Flickr.