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DemocracyClub -> Task 1: Identifying Local Issues -> Explaining precisely what this task is looking for
Post Info TOPIC: Explaining precisely what this task is looking for
Tom Steinberg


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Explaining precisely what this task is looking for
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This post is to help volunteers understand more about what DemocracyClub really needs out of this first task.

Background

So one of the main goals of DemocracyClub is to gather the views on key local and national issues for all candidates standing at the General Election.

We need this for two purposes:

1. In order to be able to make an awesome online election quiz that will tell people who their own views align with those of their candidates.
2. In order to be able to hold future MPs to account for their promises whilst they are electioneering.

We can't do either of these if we don't know what questions to ask the candidates, especially about local issues.

What makes for a good local issue (for our purposes)

  1. It is an issue that at least two candidates at the election have clearly different views on.
  2. It is an issue that at least a few local constituents really care about
  3. It is an issue that is *local* - we can ask about national issues easily.
  4. There is evidence for the candidates differing opinions - ie it is possible to link to a website, or upload a photo of a leaflet or a newspaper article, or publish the contents of an email or a video, that show at least two of the candidates stating opinions that are clearly different.
  5. It has to be an issue that can ultimately be turned into a question where a meaningful answer can be given by degrees of assent or disagreement. ie "Do you believe a new bypass should be built across the meadows" is a good question because the answers can be boiled down to "Agree strongly, agree, no opinion, disagree, disagree strongly."
This is the very first set of instructions - please let me know how you'd like them changing.


-- Edited by Tom Steinberg on Tuesday 19th of January 2010 08:30:18 AM

-- Edited by Tom Steinberg on Wednesday 20th of January 2010 05:27:12 AM

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LucyB

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What timescale are you looking at for a response? I'm not actually moving into my 'local' constituency for another 3 weeks! Obviously, I can do some research online, but the rest may have to wait a bit..

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Tom Steinberg


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Hi Lucy,

We're looking for responses within the next couple of weeks ideally, but it might stretch a little if needs be.

Where are you moving to? Am delighted that you're up for helping us!

best,

Tom

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Lynda

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Having a bit of trouble with this up here in the frozen north. Problem is just about all of the truely local issues are devolved and therefore not in the remit of our prospective MPs.

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Tom Steinberg


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Hi Lynda,

It doesn't matter if an MP has no control over a key issue, knowing what they think about it is still enormously important to many potential voters.

Please add something, and let me know here how it goes!

best,

Tom

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syoung


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I was wondering exactly how local we're talking here. For example, I live in Essex but there are a number of constituencies within the county.

Should we only be submitting issues that affect the constituency or can we include stuff that affects the county as a whole?

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sodit


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£Billion Pound Waste disposal scandal, government and DEFRA failed to regulate have challenged them for past 10 years, bullying responses, but held my nerve and won the battle.   Councils have failed to provide benefits and entitlement of free disposal to all places of learning, schools, universities, hospitals, NHS, charities, meeting halls, all religious places, churches, church halls, meeting halls, caravan holiday parks, camp sites, penal institutions, royal palaces.
Another failure to regulate as similarities of  banks and financial crisis
I am waste management retired and my expertise and site waste methodology underwriting and contract procedures discovered and revealed from study of regulations this breach and failure of councils to act under mandatory order by the Secretary of State statute order of the provision of free disposals.
All the establishments will be able to save £millions of pounds and may be able to recover lost benefits of their waste disposal wrongly paid over the past decades
Efficiency savings at a stroke.  We are of course talking about very large sums of money that has been wasted by these organisations either through wrong or misleading advice given by councils or contractors, their waste has been incorrectly classified and where wrong advice has been given have all been led up the garden path to wasted expenditure.
henry.howe@virgin.net

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sodit


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Hello Tom dont agree with some of what you say, see £Billion Pound Waste Disposal Scandal I have posted.                Many MP`s have been made aware, they will not become involved and prefer to remain ignorant of what occurs on their own doorstep.  Little do they care of the losses inflicted upon the organizations I have listed  effected by this scandal.             They continue to support councils in what can only described under this issue in what can be proven in many cases unscrupulous and unprincipled conduct towards organizations most of community benefit or for benefit of amenties to the community.   I wonder why they are desperate to try to change the Statutory Regulations by recent covert maneuverings.              Another similarity to the scandal of banking, government failure to regulate the banks;  it does appear that DEFRA have failed to regulate the councils.    Efficiency savings at a stroke; £millions can be restored immediately   Makes one wonder l who is running these organisations, strangely the government is not far from their shoulders.  Lack of procurement.   Why are so many people blinkered.   henry.howe@virgin.net

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