Democracy 2.0

I am not really one for self promotion, but I see I have been included in Jury Teams email news letter called Democracy 2.0. It is sent out every week to registered email addresses and is my second mention since it started.

Here is what they had to say today:

We at the Jury Team are big fans of using the New Media to spread our message, so we were delighted to assist when an enterprising blogger asked to conduct a survey of our candidates.

Daniel1979, who blogs at www.daniel1979blog.blogspot.com, sent us a questionnaire to distribute to the candidates, with the promise of publishing their responses.

Over 20 candidates took him up on the offer, and Daniel has published their responses online without editing them down - another reason that we like the transparency of the blogosphere in contrast to the manipulation that goes on in the traditional press.

Daniel finally decided to cast his vote for Lyn Tofari (LYNTOF01) in the South East, but will continue to publish all candidate responses until the end of the primary.

This sort of interrogation of candidates' views by the public is precisely what doesn't happen in the main parties. We think that if people are casting their vote for a party list, they should know who the people are on that list, and what they stand for - and we think that publishing all answers is a healthy move for democratic engagement as well.

We'd like to thank Daniel for running the survey - and we are currently summarising all the responses and they will be presented on the blog very soon.

Well I have certainly been happy to help. As a result, I feel I have had a hand in selecting a candidate who best represents my views, and I hope I have encouraged a few people to take a look at an Independent alternative. Anyone who will be holding their nose whilst voting in the EU elections would be well served by giving the Jury Team site a visit and having a read. The candidates offer a wide spectrum of opinions and want to represent their respective regions with a direct relationship with the voters, not the Party Whip.

I did indeed as a result cast my vote for Lyn Tofari, and further down the mail shot I also saw that Lyn got a mention in the Buckinghamshire Advertiser.

There is only a week to go until the Primary closes so if you were leaving it late, now is the time.