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By Graham Hayday, 20 March 2001 00:01

NEWS In a report out today, centre-left think-tank the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) explains how a publicly funded, but independent, electronic Commons should work. It believes such a body should be created to "foster new forms of public involvement in policy issues; to involve and consult with citizens in the overall political process; and to give citizens access to the information that they genuinely want and to enable them to actively participate in the governance of the country." This will make the government more popular, according to IPPR. Dr Stephen Coleman, co-author of the report and a consultant to the Cabinet Office, said in a statement: "A cyber Commons could provide a new portal for many citizens who feel their voice isn't being listened to. It would not just be a PR tool for politicians." Even Andrew Pinder, e-envoy, went on the record to give his support, although his statement falls short of any promise to take direct action: "The internet's vast potential gives us the opportunity to explore new ways of engaging with citizens... An interactive forum such as this should encourage more people to get online." Just last week, the government was mildly criticised by another think tank, Demos, for focusing too much on getting its internal IT systems in order at the expense of more ambitious projects to revolutionise the political process. Its report said the objective of re-engineering services around the citizen rather than automating existing services should become the central focus. The practices underway today are "leading the UK toward a 'virtual Whitehall'... reproducing Whitehall online should be avoided at all costs", Demos said. The IPPR report - Realising Democracy Online: A Civic Commons in Cyberspace - is written by Dr Coleman, director of the e-democracy programme for the LSE Hansard Society, and Professor Jay Blumler, emeritus professor of public communications at the University of Leeds.