MPs are just as hooked on social media as everyone else, and that means a new and very direct channel of communication has opened up between government and governed. Is that a good thing, especially at a time when British politics has become so charged-up by Brexit? Prospect, in partnership with Vuelio, brought together a panel of […]
Last Friday I was delighted to be invited to officially ‘open’ a new bench and rest stop on the North Downs Way near to the top of Tolsford Hill. This project has been led by the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and I was joined for the occasion by its Chairman Chris […]
As we face the prospect of a general election, we need to confront the fact that our electoral law is not fit for purpose in the digital age. Technology has created opportunities for people to campaign without revealing their identity, spend above restricted limits, and receive untraceable donations, including from overseas. We should introduce emergency […]
Last Friday I was pleased to be invited to Martello Primary school in Folkestone to meet the students and discuss what they had learned during their democracy week. As part of this the pupils had also conducted their own elections for the positions of Head Girl and Head Boy for the coming year. I was […]
The Premier League is coming under pressure to launch an investigation into revelations that Liverpool paid a £1 million settlement to Manchester City over a complaint that their scouting system had been hacked. Senior figures at two top-flight clubs spoken to by The Times believe the “spygate” issue should be the subject of a review by the […]
Last Sunday I attended once again the annual Battle of Britain service at St Stephen’s Church in Lympne. This year marks the 79th anniversary of that epic struggle between the RAF and the German air force above the skies of Kent, when the fate of western Europe hung by a thread. Defeat would have given […]
Video game loot boxes should be regulated as gambling and children barred from purchasing them, a House of Commons committee has advised. The recommendation comes as part of the digital, culture, media and sport (DCMS) committee’s report on immersive and addictive technologies, published on Thursday after months of parliamentary hearings with technology and gaming companies. […]
In the early hours of Tuesday 10th September, the House of Commons prorogued, ending the longest parliamentary session for over three hundred years. Instead of the normal twelve-month session this last one has run continuously since June 2017. When Parliament returns on 14th October, The Queen will deliver her first speech to Parliament in over […]
ITV have been requested to provide further information on The Jeremy Kyle Show following the accounts of two former contestants at a Committee hearing last week. Chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, MP Damian Collins revealed he has contacted ITV after 'concerning' evidence about the duty of care shown to participants on the daytime show. […]
Damian Collins MP, who made his name investigating Cambridge Analytica in the House of Commons and featured in the Netflix documentary The Great Hack, has said the country needs “emergency legislation” on social-media use if a general election is called. Collins wants “rules on social-media campaigning that are fit for purpose” and adds that “current […]