Politico-Geeky Plea
Tom Steinberg is a very reasonable man but he has clearly pulled his hair out. He has had a hand in a few of those handy mySociety utility projects like TheyWorkForYou.com and WriteToThem.com. He not unreasonably wants the parliamentary authorities to publish bills in an internet-friendly format.
Not a partisan point, not a big budget issue. The geeks want it to be in a format that is fit for the 21st century... they have an online petition (of course). Guido usually ignores online petitions (like the government) however this one he has signed up to. Tell the bureaucrats to lose the quils and get with the XML. You can too here.
UPDATE : Oops, Tom says it is not a petition, it is an "action email list".Not a partisan point, not a big budget issue. The geeks want it to be in a format that is fit for the 21st century... they have an online petition (of course). Guido usually ignores online petitions (like the government) however this one he has signed up to. Tell the bureaucrats to lose the quils and get with the XML. You can too here.
UPDATE II : Cameron is backing the Free Our Bills campaign - see here.
7 comments:
Sorry, but this has nothing to do with the Tom Steinberg story. The "movie / tv news" bit of imdb.com says the following today "Forty-six U.S. troops and 168 British troops have died in Iraq this month in a surprising rise in insurgent activity." 168? This month? Presumably a huge mistake?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7312012.stm
BBC webpage today. Hypocrites. Crooks.
MPs given expenses release delay
The expenses relate to claims by MPs to furnish a second home
Gordon Brown, David Cameron, Tony Blair and 11 other prominent MPs and ex-MPs have been given two days to argue against their expenses being published.
The Commons has spent years fighting calls to account for public money spent on expenses by MPs.
But the Commons authorities have been advised there is no legal basis for an appeal against a ruling by a Freedom of Information tribunal on the expenses.
The MPs have until 4pm on Thursday to make their case against publication.
Soft furnishings
The tribunal ordered the publication of a detailed breakdown of what the 14 MPs and former MPs claimed over three years.
The Commons authorities had been expected to publish the expenses as early as Tuesday.
But that has now been put back until Thursday.
If the details are published the public will be able to see what MPs like the PM and former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott spent on everything from their mortgage to soft furnishings on their second home in London.
The figures for Conservative leader Mr Cameron, shadow chancellor George Osborne, shadow foreign secretary William Hague and former Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell are also included in the case.
'John Lewis list'
Earlier this month it emerged that MPs were allowed to claim expenses of up to £10,000 for a new kitchen, £2,000 for furniture and £750 for a TV or stereo for their second homes.
And other claims allowable include £6,335 for a new bathroom, £299.99 for air conditioning units, £300 per rug, £50 for a shredder and £1,000 for a bed.
The figures are in the so-called "John Lewis list" used by Commons officials to list maximum amounts for items.
The existence of the list - based on prices at the John Lewis store "because it was highly rated by Which magazine" - was revealed during the tribunal.
Hi Guido,
Just to let you know that we're asking people to sign up to an action email list, not a petition. We'll be asking people to do things, and perhaps even giving them some sneak previews of new TheyWorkForYou features as a reward...
Tom
Rewards ? Wow! Cunt.
Steinberg is a ledgend. End of.
Clearly not the only ones thinking about this:
http://www.veen.com/jeff/archives/000976.html
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