On 7 Apr , at 14:33:05, Matthew Somerville wrote: > Stefan Magdalinski wrote: >> http://debillitated.heroku.com/ >> although totally depressed by what it says about our work over the last 12 >> years. > > "No, to be fair, and I'm pretty sure you're a fair bloke, there's more to it > than meets the eye. There's only so much room for MPs to speak and those with > a particular interest come in on debates. There's lots of others around, many > watching on monitors. True, a lot aren’t engaged, especially with this bill > obv I think too many, [...]" - Eric Joyce MP > > I thought "our work" was to be able to provide information on what MPs etc. > are doing in their role in the Houses of Parliament, and that it was > precisely that it *wasn't* just number of debates spoken in, or whether > someone happened to be in the chamber or not. [1] Help people make decisions, > find things out, contact their representatives, etc. I mean, I'm genuinely > curious as to how http://www.didmympshowupornot.com/ is actually useful to > its cause/ debate/ issue (which to be clear I don't actually have an opinion > on, but I realise lots of people do)? > > What do people want? 643 MPs sat there, the same ones who speak speak (given > they used all the time available), occasional hear hears and boos presumably, > but not doing anything productive? Obviously I don't know what the ones who > weren't there were doing, there's a whole range from saying they're all > electioneering through to doing constituency casework to watching the debate > to anything inbetween. But for a general second reading debate on a bill, I > think I want the MPs who are knowledgeable/ have interest in the topic to > debate it and its merits, feeding in their constituents' and their own views, > with other MPs talking to them about it and learning more and letting it > influence their vote, presumably taking into account party more than I would > perhaps like, but that's not really the issue. > > If you want to be upset at anything (other than content), be upset that the > Bill is going to have c. one hour of committee debate today rather than say > the 40 or so it would get in a normal committee stage, the way it's been > rushed through, and things like that. >
well, yes, that's more the problem. > ATB, > Matthew > > [1] It is quite annoying that TheyWorkForYou Public Bill Committees have been > broken since January, something I hope to have time to try and do something > about before the election. > > _______________________________________________ > Mailing list [email protected] > Archive, settings, or unsubscribe: > https://secure.mysociety.org/admin/lists/mailman/listinfo/developers-public -- /* Stefan Magdalinski +27 82 0431230 (phone) smagdali (IM/twitter/flickr/dopplr/skype/etc) */ _______________________________________________ Mailing list [email protected] Archive, settings, or unsubscribe: https://secure.mysociety.org/admin/lists/mailman/listinfo/developers-public
