Direct Democracy Initiative...

[sparks]

The Prime Minister announces major initiative on direct democracy

 

In a surprise statement at the beginning of PMQ’s in parliament (Wednesday) the Prime Minister, David Cameron, announced sweeping moves to extend direct democracy. Commenting on the public sector strike over pensions as: "irresponsible" and a "damp squib", Mr Cameron expressed regret that thousands of people felt it necessary to go onto the streets to register their concerns, which he cited as evidence that the UK’s democracy was not fit for purpose: "placing a cross on a piece of paper once in every five years is no longer an adequate conception of a modern day democracy". The Prime Minister acknowledged the influence that the Occupy Movement had had on the government’s thinking in this respect: "one of the central demands of Occupy LSX and other similar groups around the country has been a call for direct democracy. My government has listened to these concerns and is taking bold moves to address them".

 

Mr Cameron went on to explain that the powers by which the government intends to act and the technology to facilitate the direct democracy initiative were originally conceived during the passage of the Civil Contingencies Act through parliament in 2004; at which time the Labour Government established a feasibility study comprising: Aditech plc, the technology company which pioneered iris recognition, the security company G4S Group, and the BBC. The work of these partners has made possible the direct democracy initiative; a central plank of which is iris recognition. Iris recognition technology is already widely used in border control, education establishments, prisons, health care, banking and in the workplace. A person’s iris is an immeasurably more robust means of identification than other methods such as fingerprints. Even identical twins have different iris configurations.

 

Mr Cameron explained the progress with the project to date: "Since 2004 every television set, made or imported into the UK, has been required to have fitted to it a miniature camera. Both the former Labour Government and the Coalition have kept this development secret until now for reasons of national security and commercial confidentiality. The camera is located at the back of the screen in the top right hand corner, behind the position of the ‘red dot’. Its capability to take a clear photo is deliberately limited to a distance of 5 centimetres –about two inches - from the screen in order not to intrude into people’s privacy at home". Mr Cameron emphasised this privacy provision: "the ‘photo limiting device’ can only be overridden, en-masse, when a state of national emergency is declared or, in individual circumstances, where the security services apply, on a case by case basis, to the Secretary of State to deactivate the limiting device for reasons of national security. When the limiter is deactivated it behaves as a normal camera, with a swivel digital zoom lens and infra-red capability to ensure effective surveillance".

 

The new technology will mean that people will no longer need to attend a polling station to vote. In future everyone will be able to vote at home simply by placing his or her eye close to the top right hand corner of the TV screen and waiting for an on-screen message which will flash up the person’s name and postcode, with a request that this information be confirmed as correct or incorrect – by pressing either the blue or yellow buttons on the handset. If identity is verified the person can cast his or her vote by simply pressing the red button. If there is a mismatch on the central computer between the name and the iris image, then a message will appear on the screen instructing the person to attend a police station within 24 hours for further investigation into the identity disparity. In cases where the iris recognition detects a wanted person, an illegal immigrant, or someone on the ‘police watch list’ then this will immediately sound an alarm at the police central computer control room and police will attend the premises to execute an arrest.

 

The existing ‘red button’ technology and the rollout of digital TV early next year provide the technological platform from which the new voting system can operate. The new technology will not work on the analogue system. Every home will be required to have a TV licence and at least one digital television. There will be no need for the TV to be switched on for the iris recognition camera to operate, but it must be kept powered up and on standby at all times. The existing BBC detector vans will be modified to ensure compliance with this requirement. The BBC has been instructed not to unreasonably refuse to share the technology with commercial providers. Simon Cowell is understood to be in talks with the BBC to use the voting system for his X-Factor show and other similar projects.

 

Mr Cameron set out the key benefits of using the ‘red button’ technology: "It will remove the need for postal voting and therefore eradicate voter fraud at a stroke. It will help to catch criminals. It will also solve the problem of low voter turnout by bringing the penalty for failure to vote into line with the existing TV licence provisions; which provide for a fine or imprisonment for an indeterminate period of time if the fine is not paid. Most importantly, it will make our streets safer for law abiding people". In making this last point Mr Cameron was referring to the successful trial of helmet mounted cameras by a number of police forces over the past two years. These cameras are ‘iris recognition ready’ and once fully rolled out will mean that controversial proposals of ID cards, bio-data passports, and other forms of paper identity can be abandoned. Mr Cameron added: "direct democracy need no longer be limited to merely voting for local or parliamentary representatives. Referendums can be held cheaply and securely on any political topic at any time. In addition the public will be able to vote on other issues such as how they would like the story line of their favourite soap to unfold, or whether or not they want to retain, or kill off, a particular character etc". Mr Cameron proclaimed enthusiastically: "we are not just looking at a revolution in the way we run our democracy, but also in the way people live their lives. This is about public engagement par excellence"! Asked about how the new voting system will influence political decisions, Mr Cameron said that this aspect of the project was still ‘work-in-progress’ and the government would make an announcement sometime in the new year.

 

The Prime Minister confirmed that the Health and Safety Executive [HSE] had been consulted over the proposals and had expressed its support for the initiative, saying that it would enhance public safety by avoiding people having to travel to polling stations; thus removing the risk of injury through car accidents and tripping and slipping in wet weather. Mr Cameron welcomed the HSE comments and added that the government regarded public safety as paramount: "For this reason the government intends to bring forward legislation to limit demonstrations, marches and rallies: Such events always cause concern and risk of injury to the public and the participants. We have seen in recent months the violence that results from people being on the streets. Now that we shall have almost limitless ways in which people can engage in direct democracy it will render redundant those other forms of direct action".

 

The police welcomed the proposals saying that it would free up significant police manpower to concentrate on crime prevention.

 

Related legislation, to take into account the new direct democracy measures, will be fast tracked through parliament during the current parliamentary session. This will include changes to the Broadcasting Act, the electoral legislation and employment law. New legislation will be introduced to regulate strikes by requiring use of the ‘red button’ technology for voting on strike action. Marches, demonstrations and other mass forms of protest will be restricted to those that the police are satisfied will not create a risk of violence or public disorder, or lead to disruption or damage to the economy. Citing the public sector workers strike, the Prime Minister said: "it is unacceptable to have the daily lives and economic livelihood of ordinary people disrupted by such gratuitous civil unrest". When asked about Jeremy Clarkson’s outburst on television, when he remarked that public sector strikers should be executed in front of their families, Mr Cameron said that: "executions were not part of government policy and the government had no plans to re-introduce capital punishment".

 

Commensurate with the government conceding to the main demand of the Occupy Movement, for direct democracy, all occupy encampments were today issued with eviction notices.

 

The Prime Minister explained: "these protests have achieved their objectives and are no longer necessary". The eviction notices have been served under section 2 of the Civil Contingencies Act. In 2004 the Labour Government widened the definition of ‘civil emergency’ to include not only war and acts of terrorism but also: "serious damage to human welfare in a place in the United Kingdom or to the environment of a place in the United Kingdom". [section 1, Civil Contingencies Act 2004] The Prime Minister pointed out that the specific nature of ‘serious damage’ is defined in sections 2 and 3 of the Act and includes: "homelessness, disruption of a system of communication, damage to property, disruption of services relating to health and", in the case of the environment, "disruption or destruction of plant or animal life". In this instance the government is citing ‘homelessness’ and ‘damage to the environment’ as reasons for the evictions. The Prime Minister clarified the environmental reasons by referring to a dog that had been seen tied to a railing outside St Paul’s, the build up of rubbish around the encampments and, where the tents are pitched on grass - such as those in Finsbury Park and Brighton - damage to the grass that has led to what he described as: "unsightly yellow discolouration". By invoking emergency powers the government has ensured that evictions will happen quickly and without the right of appeal to the courts.

 

In response to criticism by some individuals and pressure groups, which expressed concern that the new direct democracy measures will impoverish, rather than enrich, democracy, David Cameron responded robustly: "There will always be those fringe elements, militants and extremists at the margins of society, that insist on trashing our democracy and fermenting anarchy. Their bellicose rhetoric must not be allowed to frustrate the wishes of the vast majority of right thinking people who want to see a strong democracy in our country".

 

A stretch of the imagination, or a politician's wish list?

[sparks]

It was only a joke about the TV.... :Hmm:

 

Link

 

In addition to its "smart evolution capability" Samsung has also added gesture, voice and face recognition features to the ES8000 model.

 

A built-in camera allows users to browse the internet with a wave of their hand and to change channel by speaking in one of the more than 20 languages that the set can "understand".

A facial recognition facility also allows the set to recognise users, pulling up the relevant selection of their favourite apps.

But I wonder how long it will be before some form of 'control' is applied via the 'eye'?...

 

My bet is that the first 'app' will be to keep an eye on someone 'under curfew'...

 

Then 'secure access' to government services?

 

Of course it'll all be 'voluntary' of course...but after a while it'll be something you 'can't live without'!