Safe Speed issued the following PR at 04:21 this morning:
PR488: Right to Reply DENIED by Downing Street Petition Site
news: for immediate release
The 10 Downing Street petition web site team have rejected a petition calling
for petitioners to be given a right to reply.
The issue is as follows:
- A PETITIONER creates a petition on the 10 Downing Street web site and invites
signatures from SIGNATORIES.
- When a signatory signs a petition it is explained by the Downing Street
web site how their email address will be used. This use includes a maximum of
two emails from the petitioner.
- When petitions close 10 Downing Street usually sends an email to all the
signatories.
- But petitioners are DENIED the right to communicate with signatories.
- Now we have been denied the right to even petition for a right to reply!
- This action is against the fundamental democratic principle of 'open debate'.
- Paul Smith proposed a new 10 Downing Street petition to highlight the issue -
but 10 Downing Street refuse to host the petition, claiming that: "This
petition has been rejected because: It was an issue for which an e-petition is
not the appropriate channel."
- Clearly the basis for rejection is spurious and emails requesting a proper
explanation for the rejection have been ignored.
10 Downing Street web site says [1]:
"What will you do with my name and address details if I sign a petition?
Nothing, unless you expressly ask to sign up for other services available on
the Downing Street web site (e.g. email updates). We will use your email
address to confirm your signature and, unless you ask us not to, we will also
send you a maximum of two responses to the issues raised in the petition and a
maximum of two emails from the creator of the petition."
Paul Smith, founder of Safespeed.org.uk, said: "This is New Labour's style of
democracy. Not only do they refuse to listen, but they refuse to conduct a fair
debate. They won't even accept a petition to address their failure to conduct
the debate fairly."
"Doubtless when our 23,000 signature petition to 'scrap speed cameras' closes
at the end of June we will also be denied the right to email our signatories.
Yet Downing Street can be expected to send misleading propaganda to support the
governments failed road safety policy. We're entitled to much more honesty,
integrity and openness from government than we're getting."
"It would be most interesting to hear the team behind the 10 Downing Street
petition site explain why they claim that: 'It was an issue for which an e-
petition is not the appropriate channel.' because it seems absolutely ideal
channel to me. Could it be that they are scared of the results?"
<ends>
Notes for editors
=================
[1]
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/faq
The rejected Safe Speed official petition:
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/righttoreply
"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to respect the moral right of
petitioners to communicate with signatories when a petition closes."
Previous similar rejected petitions:
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/DemocraticRights
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/rightofreply
Previous PR, issued when Peter Roberts was denied the right to reply to 1.8
million anti roads pricing petitioners:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SafeSpeedPR/message/308
The Daily Express should be especially interested in the issue, because they
have been DENIED the right of reply to their own 128,000 signature petition:
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/ihtcrusade