Describe your idea:

Let’s change it together!

A website where people can collaborate and join forces to support each other on campaigns. A cross between PledgeBank (where you don’t have to pledge anything) and Nº10 Petitions (where you are not petitioning Nº10, but some other organisation or corporation).

What problem does it solve?:

I wrote to the ASA to complain about Nuts Magazine TV adverts being sexist. They said that this was humour, and had not had enough complaints to take action. This site could highlight people’s causes and galvanise support.

Type of idea: A brand new project

Describe your idea:

how did they vote? dot com

website that records the voting of MPs and Lords
and displays the information in a variety of ways:

e.g. view by subject or by constituency/MP

e.g. are the tories really homophobic as Ben and Chris said? Which party is really voting green? Did my MP represent my views this term?

What problem does it solve?:

choosing which party of MP to vote for in the upcoming general election

Type of idea: A brand new project

Describe your idea:

For the UK central government, there is the Statute Law Database containing statutes in force. I wonder whether there is scope for a web-based database of local authority bylaws in force.

What problem does it solve?:

In the United States of America, where the government structure is more decentralized, largish cities usually have their ordinances codified and sometimes even online.

Here in the United Kingdom, things are more centralized, but local authorities can still make bylaws and orders. I have recently put in Freedom of Information requests for the local authorities in my area (Oxford). See website below for details.

Since ignorance of the law is no defence, it is really important that residents know what the bylaws in the area are.

Type of idea: A brand new project

Describe your idea:

An app for iPhones and Android that enables people to log the location of CCTV cameras with two aims:

1. Initially, to build a proper audit of the extent of our addiction to CCTV.
2. Over time provide the platform to start challenging the scope of CCTV.

Perhaps it could be created as an adaptation of Fixmystreet.

What problem does it solve?:

1. The intertia currently favours more cameras. There are no breaks on more. There appears to be no bottom line.

2. My fear is that the next wave of growth won’t be in numbers of cameras, but the degree to which they are networked and automated. And this will be hard to fight in the heat of the moment when the next Jamie Bulger, Damiola Taylor horror happens.

3. Lack of knowledge. There are some powerful ‘facts’ about our surveillance culture but they are hard to substantiate. A live database could help us begin the pushback.

Type of idea: A brand new project

Describe your idea:

Our current “democracy” gives the option to vote for a party representative and that party’s manifesto. Once elected they are free to do what they want without accountability until the next election.

No system works effectively without timely feedback.

A more openly democratic system where proposals are openly submitted, debated and an objective summary of the arguments maintained and presented (wikipedia style) and eventually voted upon. Ideally with votes weighted by the voters understanding of the issues.

Where our elected representatives are soley responsible for selecting and overseeing professionals responsible for actually implementing the policies in priority order. They are not free to disregard them.

What problem does it solve?:

It ensures open debate on the proposed policies and accountability on implementation.

Our democratically elected government would be responsible overseeing the implementation of the approved policies. Progress and questions could be monitored and raised online which have to be properly and publically answered.

Type of idea: A brand new project

Describe your idea:

Related to Where does my tax go? thought maybe with a broader overview. Provide a clear cut visual representation of where the money comes from and just where it goes, so that a user can drill down to identify the government departments, quangos and other organisations that were contracted/subcontracted to spend the money and on what activities/projects, initial cost/effort/time-scales, current/final cost/effort/time-scales, suitability of end result, if any, was the project abandoned and why and who was/is in charge of it. How many people are employed by these various organisations/government departments, what role, roughly how much are they paid and what level of pension and other benefits are they going to receive on retiring.

What problem does it solve?:

One gets the impression that government is more interested in taxing us than ensuring that the money is well spent.

There is no accountability. Money is squandered on PFI schemes which simply place a long term burden on the tax payer.

An easily comprehended interface that provides some measure of our government’s competence in ensuring value for money and the burdens that some of the ill-thought out projects and policies place on us might make it a lot harder for incompetence to be swept under the carpet.

Type of idea: A brand new project

Describe your idea:

It would be nice to have a single format which allows for data sharing and portability across platforms. Maybe a microformat is not the answer, but the idea is to have shareable and machine readable data, standardised across platforms.

What problem does it solve?:

There are many websites collecting and competing for feedback on Public Services. Citizens are confused between PatientOpinion and NHSChoices and publicexperience. The result is that less feedback is generated and less meaningful results are available. Data sharing across platform will allow for better insight and more feedback.

Type of idea: A piece of infrastructure or an API

Describe your idea:

I propose a new website (democratize.org.uk) that lets people cast their own vote on everything their own MP has the ability to vote on in Parliament.

Every time a users MP has the ability to vote on anything that is going through Parliament (a EDM, bill etc) they are sent a email alert, asking them cast their own vote on it.

The user is shown all the relevant information about that vote (the actual text of the EDM or bill, as-well as an impartial ‘laymans’ summary of it). They can also see a Digg.com style counter showing the current public vote count on that item.

What problem does it solve?:

I think a website like this would be great for getting people more involved in the legislative process, and finding out more about what their MP is up to, and what their views are when they actually come to vote.

It would also be interesting to see what the publics view is on the things that Parliament votes on, and how the politicians votes compare to the publics votes.

By also having each bill or EDM accompanied by a understandable ‘laymans’ summary or breakdown, it would make the legislative process more accessible to normal people.

Type of idea: A brand new project

Describe your idea:

CrimeText

A crime reporting forum, where anonymous data and information sent in by the public would be geographically mapped according to location. Text messages and emails from the general public would drive the site. There would be no direct follow up to information provided-it is designed to be a guide to criminal and anti-social patterns-thus encouraging more and more people to send in their concerns and experiences of anti-social behavior.

This will be a quick, easy, and hassle free method of expressing ones personal concerns and experiences.

What problem does it solve?:

As most of the incidents logged will not be illegal, the site acts as an information magnet. The data gathered will allow the authorities to identify more clearly the roots of crime and potential starting points for criminality. With this insight they will be in a better position to target their action and support. For instance, if a particular bus route has a problem with rowdy children, and several members of the public express their concerns via the forum, the police will be able to identify this route as a problem area. But if such behaviour is left unchecked or unreported, the minor anti-social behaviour of the culprits could turn into something more serious.

Type of idea: A brand new project

Describe your idea:

If society was one giant interlocking system like a human body or computer it would inevitably experience problems. A dedicated customer service support system is needed to help, diagnose and maintain efficiency in that system.

My idea is to provide the ENTIRE UK with an online 24/7 dedicated customer support unit for dealing with various social issues and problems.

It would provide advice, solutions, guidance to resolve social issues in any part of the UK. This could be online advice, pointing people in right direction, actual physical help via nearby groups etc.

People can sign up to become customer service social agents looking after a particular region.

What problem does it solve?:

Sometimes the best advice, guidance and support comes from people we know or from within our own community.

I want to be able to go online and know that the UK society is being looked after by it’s people. I want to be sure that whatever problem or issue I have will be resolved by the customer service agents who look after and serve society’s wellbeing.

I could ask a question, require support, guidance or need something to be done in my area about crime etc. I know that there are people who will make sure it is done. These are the people who will ensure society runs smoothly.

Type of idea: A brand new project