Web helps build local democracy

Guy Aitchison (London, OK) The decision made by Zac Goldsmith’s community in Barnes (covered by Zac here in OK), to hold a referendum on the building of a Sainsbury’s in their area, is a novel response to the problem of what seem to be undemocratic planning decisions. The White Hart Action Group are leading the campaign to oppose Sainsbury’s and charting its progress on their website. They hope that the, “pendulum is swinging away from bullying multinational companies who tread all over small communities’ sensibilities and towards those who will respect them”. The group are one amongst a growing number of local initiatives using the web to create a new form for democratic politics. Tescopoly is a platform for resistance to unpopular planning decisions, it describes itself as "an alliance of organisations concerned with the negative impact of supermarket power" and aims to provide resources for local people to share their experience and swap best practices. Local websites with a wider purpose are starting up, like TalkSwindon, which Geoff Reid began after he got "quite irritated with one of Swindon's two MP's who was, and still does, display an arrogantly dismissive attitude towards her constituents". The question is still whether these initiatives will last. Meanwhile the Initiatives and Referendums group (moniker I&RGB) is trying to find out how many local referendums are or have been held.