Election 2010: Liberal Democrats on tech

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The election is looming and within a matter of weeks we could have a new Government ruling the UK.

Although the usual topics are surfacing like education and healthcare, science and technology have worked their way up to the agenda in most of the party’s manifestos.

We take a look at the Liberal Democrats' plans for tech in Britain, how they are using new technologies to help with their election campaign and whether any of their MPs can fall into the category of “tech savvy.”

Tech policies

The one disappointment with the Lib Dem’s manifesto is they don’t seem to have a plan for rolling out super-fast broadband across the UK.

While both the Tories and Labour have made their (albeit differing) plans clear, this party have not made it one of their big campaign issues for the upcoming election.

However, they have not ignored tech issues entirely and have promised a lot when it comes to hitting green targets and ensuring more fairness with citizen databases.

When it comes to the environment, and the use of technology to improve things, the Lib Dems have littered their manifesto with a number of promises.

Firstly the party has promised to invest £35 billion into what they call “job-rich capital projects” which would include using the technology available for renewable energy and developing it to help it make a difference.

They believe by building a more “green infrastructure” with public transport and energy, more jobs would become available for the struggling nation dogged in a recession.

Overall they have a target of zero per cent carbon emissions by 2040, the most ambitious of any of the parties, but again their policies on investing into the technologies also goes further than its competitors.

When it comes to technologies being used by the Government we have today, their policies become more critical.

First off the party has attacked the DNA database, specifically the fact innocent people remain on it for more years than even the EU deems necessary. The party has promised to remove all innocent people from the database were they to get in power but, unlike the Conservatives, it wouldn’t scrap the database entirely.

The party also pledges to remove the “plans to spy on your email and internet use” proposed by Labour, which could even store data from use of social networks, as part of terrorist prevention measures.

The guide to policies from the Lib Dems called the plans a “huge waste of money” and said the party would “ensure your private data is kept safe.”

The Digital Economy Bill is again gathering pace when it comes to debate between the parties but the Lib Dems have struggled to make up their mind.

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