Mile End Road
London
UK
Going digital? How embracing technology could end ‘politics as usual’
Our world is increasingly digital, our every interaction – business, leisure, relationships – facilitated by the internet. With every other aspect of our lives moving to ‘digital by default’, we now expect nothing less from our government and politics, but how easy is it for them to keep pace with fast-moving technological developments?
Yes, electoral campaigns make extensive use of data analysis and communications technologies. Many politicians too are using social media to interact with the public.
But does this add up to wholesale paradigm shift, a digital embrace?
The Government Digital Service has led the way in providing simpler, clearer and faster government services with online access for citizen-users. It has also driven the increasing transparency and accessibility of government data. But this is just the beginning of a longer journey.
Francis Maude, the Tory moderniser and, as Minister for the Cabinet Office since 2010, responsible for the unfolding digital transformation at the heart of government, is well-placed to articulate his vision of the next steps of the government’s evolving strategy to modernise services.