There’s been a flutter of comment around the announcement that Tom Steinberg, Chief Exec and founder of MySociety, is going to be advising the Conservatives (on a personal basis) on Internet issues. Tom Watson, former Labour minister criticises the move on his blog, and says it’s incompatible with the non-partisan nature of MySociety. Tom sets out his reasons on his own blog.
I know Tom slightly from a long time ago, and I have to say he’s never expressed to me any party political opinions. His public opinions are centred around free information and free data, and what he implements through MySociety reflects those beliefs. Like many people, his beliefs are his starting point, and he wants others, politicians included, to agree with him.
If you start from that point, it must be both gratifying and tempting when the likely next Government comes and asks you to advise them. The negative reaction to Tom’s decision seems to be for three reasons:
- Tom is very personally identified with MySociety, as founder and Chief Exec. That means the independent and radical cachet of MySociety goes with him, whatever anyone says about ‘in a personal capacity’. Particularly if he remains as Chief Exec, it’s going to be hard to separate out MySociety from his personal work, unless MySociety finds other people to do conference speeches and media appearances on their behalf
- There are a lot of people, by no means only professional politicians, who start from a party-political mindset. Work for the ‘other side’ and you’ll be instantly under suspicion of adherence to all their completely mistaken beliefs. This is fire that comes from both sides, and the line that non-political organisations have to walk on political issues is a very fine one
- In British culture at the moment – sadly – being aligned to a political party taints you. It associates you with those nasty cunning politicians, and sharply reduces the credibility of whatever you say. As can be seen by the MMR case, where ‘independents’ were trusted over ‘the medical establishment’, this is hardly a positive thing for public debate, but that’s where we are at the moment.
In Tom, the Tories have snagged a smart and committed advisor on open government and open data issues. I hope that he keeps them honest amid the pressures for secrecy that power and the civil service will put on them. But I also hope that MySociety is mature enough to separate itself a little from its founder, and doesn’t suffer from the smear of dishonesty that political involvement brings these days.