I’m not usually one for getting behind online petitions. However, I feel I must lend my support to this campaign by online pressure group 38 Degrees to stop the proposed Digital Economy Bill from being fast-tracked through Parliament in the twilight days of the current Labour government.
Unfortunately, the current Brown administration is determined to pass the Digital Economy legislation before it leaves office, meaning that there will not be sufficient time for a full parliamentary debate or to scrutinise the bill in depth. Ostensibly a set of laws to clamp down on internet piracy and provide for the future growth of Britain’s digital economy, the bill, recently rushed through the House of Lords, contains many unsavoury elements that will impinge directly on fundamental rights and freedoms. It also grants MPs the right to essentially re-write copyright law as they see fit.
It’s worth noting that Labour actually dropped its proposed anti-Fox Hunting legislation because there was insufficient time to fully debate the matter in Parliament. That a vastly more important piece of legislation is to be fast-tracked, despite even less time now remaining until a change in government, is a cause for great concern. Even those in favour of the Bill should realise that this sets a dangerous precedent for future legislation and should call for a measured and unhurried debate on the subject.
The Digital Economy Bill in its current state is, in essence, fundamentally undemocratic.
For a more detailed analysis of the Bill’s more worrying aspects, see here.
Unlike most online petitions, the 38 Degrees protest is a Direct Action campaign which encourages those concerned about the DE Bill to write directly to their MPs expressing their misgivings. It urges our elected representatives to stall the Bill so that a proper debate on it can take place. For those unsure which constituency they live in, 38 Degrees campaign page will find your MP by postcode. The site also supplies an online form containing a sample letter which can be edited and emailed directly to your MP. The sample text is as follows:
Dear [Insert MP Name]
I’m writing to you today because I’m very worried that the Government is planning to rush the Digital Economy Bill into law without a full Parliamentary debate.
The law is controversial and contains many measures that concern me. The controversial Bill deserves proper scrutiny so please don’t let the government rush it through. Many people think it will damage schools and businesses as well as innocent people who rely on the internet because it will allow the Government to disconnect people it suspects of copyright infringement.
Industry experts, internet service providers (like Talk Talk and BT) and huge internet companies like Google and Yahoo are all opposing the bill – yet the Government seems intent on forcing it through without a real debate.
As a constituent I am writing to you today to ask you to do all you can to ensure the Government doesn’t just rush the bill through and deny us our democratic right to scrutiny and debate.
[Insert your Name]
38 Degrees encourages users to customise this template to reflect their personal experiences. In my case, I contacted my local MP, Mark Lazarowicz (Labour MP for Edinburgh North and Leith) and expressed my concerns in light of my experience as a media professional and an encounter with unsavoury legal firm Davenport Lyons over alleged breach of copyright. Others will, of course, have different views and experiences but a personalised email says far more than simply regurgitating the basic template.
Like 38 Degrees, I urge you to take affirmative action against the Digital Economy Bill by contacting your local MP and relaying your concerns. Even if only 10,000 people send emails, that’s an average of more than fifteen emails for each of the UK’s 646 MPs. Fifteen of their constituents simultaneously expressing their concerns on the same issue should be enough to alert MPs that something deeply wrong is happening.
I’d love if anyone who has emailed their MP and received a reply could tell us about their experience in the comments. However, please don’t quote emails directly as unauthorised use, disclosure or copying of parliamentary correspondence is potentially illegal and almost certainly amounts to a Breach of Confidence.
I am pleased to report that I received a reply to my email to Mark Lazarowicz, Labour MP for Edinburgh North and Leith, less than 90 minutes after it was sent.
While he did not agree to oppose the bill, he echoed my concerns and agreed that any attempt to pass the legislation without proper debate would be wrong.
I have to confess that I’m hugely impressed that he both responded so promptly and took the time to respond to some personal concerns raised.