Election '05: MPs' tech promises fall on deaf ears

While issues such as immigration and the war in Iraq continue to grab election headlines ahead of the UK's 5 May vote, it appears the public hold little hope for informed electioneering in tech circles - and wouldn't believe any high-tech promises that are made.

Only 4.6 per cent of respondents to a silicon.com survey said their vote could be swayed by specific tech-aware pledges while 24.7 per cent answered 'no'.

While 10.4 per cent of respondents were wavering in the 'maybe' camp, nearly a third (31.9 per cent) said they 'wouldn't trust pledges or promises' and almost as many (28 per cent) said it is a non-issue as 'the parties know nothing of tech'.

The latter two categories amount to an overwhelming show of distrust in MPs' ability to run the nation's tech affairs among 60 per cent of respondents - despite the increasing role of technology in the growth of big business.

Richard Allan, the outgoing Lib Dem MP for Sheffield Hallam and one of very few tech-savvy politicians, told silicon.com: "It will be interesting to see who knows their way round a web server in the new batch of MPs that come in."

It seems that the UK public isn't holding its breath and part of the problem is that even those politicians who have tried to address tech issues have often only succeeded in making matters worse, such as the ill-fated anti-spam legislation drafted during Stephen Timms' chequered time as e-Minister.

Anti-spam campaigner Steve Linford, from Spamhaus, told silicon.com he blames Timms for taking advice from parties whose best interests, he claims, were served by legitimising spam sent in to businesses rather than outlawing it.

Derek Wyatt, who has been Labour MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey and the chair of the All Party Internet Group, is another politician who has campaigned on tech issues, such as spam and the updating of the Computer Misuse Act, with varying degrees of success.

But the number of tech-savvy MPs can probably still be counted on the fingers of one hand, with the government itself guilty of sending spam and its own advisors admitting to struggling with the simplest applications such as email.