Pioneering Internet MP to stand down

It is likely that if you think about MPs who have pioneered the use of the Internet, you would probably mention Steve Webb, Tom Watson, Derek Wyatt, John Redwood. However, I noted recently that one MP who I consider an Internet pioneer, Robert Key is standing down at the next election due to ill health.

I doubt that Robert is personally particularly IT literate, though I may be doing him a disservice. My reason for including him amongst the early pioneers in the run-up to the 2005 General Election (some 20-40 in number) was not that he was an early adopter in all things Webby, rather he had a clear vision for how he would use the Internet, in particular his website. Moreover, his approach was not based on jumping on a bandwagon, but on enhancing the citizen's experience of dealing with their MP. He created one page which was only open to constituents which provide a range of information and services available to them. In effect he was using his website to fulfill a number of functions, which inluded as an information portal, promoting community information which mades peoples lives more interesting. Robert also publicised information which allowed visitors to track what was being said by whom on a local issue, I suspect to the chagrin of some local officials.

Representatives who are pioneers of new technologies do not, like Key, have to be in to the latest gizmo, but they do need to care about their job and recognise how they can use technology to help their constituents. Whilst not a techie, Robert Key was clearly interested in the possibilities the technology offered.