How Democracy (doesn't) work in the UK (#DEBill)

In the UK the Digital Economy Bill (#DEBill on Twitterstream) has been rushed through Parliament in the dog days of this Government's term, in a process known as the "washup" - where legislation still waiting to be enacted is rushed through without scrutiny and debate to become law.

Washup is fine for well developed or non controversial law. However, this law is very controversial - in essence it tries to legislate for the traditional rightsholder to a degree which is in some ways more than they can get today in the non digital world. Its is also far from clear that it is yet well drafted. At the very least it would be better to debate it properly early in the next parliament

There are various conspiracy theories floating among my Twitterfriends around as to why this is happening, centreing around a combination of:

- Labour MP's looking to feather (out of office) nests in the Media industry. Doesn't hurt the Tories traditional support base either
- Tories don't want thsi debate on their watch, Labour does a favour and pushes it through now
- Labour MP's doing a sop to Murdoch, to stop his papers Sun being too mean to them in the election campaign?
- Peter Mandelson (Labour's Businesss secretary) kneecaps are for it if he doesn't?
- Its a cabal of Olde Fartes getting together to kibosh the Rise of the Internet
- Money

Be all that as it may, I have a sinking feeling in my stomach - the last time the two main parties colluded like this we found ourselves fighting a war in Iraq, much against most of the UK people's wish, on the basis of very dubious intelligence information.

That was the day I stopped believing in British Democracy, but this just proves how badly perverted it has become.

I suggest those of us who object to this law make it clear to both main parties that we will not vote for their candidates if they supoort this, and will instead vote for another and use all our new media access to back up the view.

Not so much Tea Party as DE Party, but some form of concerted action, aggregated via Social Media, is in my view required now to drive (Un)civil disobedience.

That will probably have more impact than a quick moan over Twitter..........