The government has announced a tie-up with the Facebook website as it seeks new ideas on spending cuts. The social networking site says it has 23 million members in the UK and has agreed to ask them to submit and vote on ideas for where cuts can be made. A website set up to ask public sector staff to suggest cuts was called an "outrage" by a union, but ministers say 50,000 ideas have been sent in.
All aboard the clueless bus
Chancellor George Osborne is to meet some of those who put ideas forward. [That's the end of that then.] The Facebook "Spending Challenge Channel" is an expansion of the social networking website's "Democracy UK" pages, set up during the run-up to the general election. Earlier this week Prime Minister David Cameron spoke to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg about a partnership deal. [Anybody else not thrilled about this?] The prime minister has been dismissive of social networking websites in the past. But the government now says Facebook will be its "primary channel" for communicating with the public about spending cuts, as it seeks to tackle the UK's record deficit. [So, what about the two-thirds of the country that don't have a Facebook account?]
The website will have a page for people to debate spending priorities and will allow people to submit and vote for ideas on where cuts could be made. [Is this because they really don't have a fucking clue how to run the country?] The government says the "most serious ideas will be taken forward by officials in the Treasury and other government departments". It says it wants to use new technology to "crowd source" and get people involved in making policy. [Are you sure you wouldn't like us to vote for our favourite ideas by phone on a Saturday evening in conjunction with ITV?]
