Labour’s policy chief has set out plans to transform digital services to increase public participation and customisation, taking power away from Whitehall in what is described as “a new democratic revolution in which people have more power”.
Writing in the Guardian, Jon Cruddas and the shadow cabinet officer, Chi Onwurah, say that Labour’s extensive policy review has “seen a fundamental rethinking of the basic assumptions on which our party has been built for the last 30 years”.
“We know we must transform the way we do government. Big-state, top-down solutions just won’t work because to transform our country we have to help people be active participants, not helpless observers.
“The digital revolution should be about connecting people better, not about more command. It’s about sharing ideas and not imposing rigid rules, the freedom to create, not top-down control. We want people to use, create, consume, customise, play with, share, improve, inspire and own their digital services.”
After a three-month review into digital government, Labour’s digital strategists have been exploring ways of saving money and improving online tools; the major Government Digital Service is one regarded as highly successful in redesigning key services.
“But let us be honest: with its distance from the frontline of public services and culture of low-risk-taking, the most exciting new uses won’t come from Whitehall,” Cruddas and Onwurah write.
“We also need to nurture technological innovation that engages local people and communities in solving the problems that affect their lives. Our plan will be to unleash the creativity of people in communities and cities to develop the new wave of digital thinking. Democratising digital services needs us to think locally.”
Listing six key findings from the review, the piece states priorities for Labour’s digital government planning:
• It points to strong digital skills and leadership in some local councils, such as Camden, which should be shared.
• Centres of excellence such as Gov.uk can help to support a community that developers and shares open components for local government, supporting them in overhauling outdated service.
• Encourage collaboration and shared standards between local government.
• Encourage local authorities to partner with local enterprise partnerships and the private sector to build “smart cities”.
• Open standards and transparency about the performance of different tools and service.
• Inclusion of all communities and support through libraries, post offices and voluntary organisations for those without digital skills.
The review is due to conclude this autumn.
