JackHarryBill

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Ann Cryer and the Digital Economy Bill

Posted on | April 14, 2010 | 3 Comments

Is it just me or would you wonder how it came to pass that an MP seemingly opposed to the Digital Economy Bill suddenly voted for it just as they were about to leave Parliament? My former MP Ann Cryer did just that.

I emailed her asking her to support the bill and got this as a reply:

Digital Economy Bill

Thank you very much for your correspondence regarding your concerns over the Digital Economy Bill currently under discussion in Parliament.

I signed Early Day Motions (1997 & 436) and have written to Peter Mandelson and Stephen Timms MP, Minister for Digital Britain raising similar concerns.

Thank you again for contacting me about this matter, I will of course, keep you informed of any progress made. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you would like to discuss this or any other matter further.

So we have an MP who on the 31 March has signed two EDMs around the subject and written to two Ministers raising concerns about the bill yet then dutifully filed into the lobby to support the government. I have absolutely no idea why she did this but I have written to her to ask for an explanation. If I get a reply from a now ex-MP I will update this blog entry. For information the texts of EDMs 1997 & 436 are below. If you want to check how your MP voted when the Digital Economy Bill was railroaded through with inadequate scrutiny you can find out here.

EDM 1997
ILLICIT FILE SHARING
12.10.2009
Watson, Tom

That this House notes with concern the Government’s proposals on file sharing which would allow rights holders to request internet service providers to disconnect for a period of time, or throttle, the internet connection of people who may be accused of copyright infringement via peer to peer networks; believes that disconnecting alleged offenders will be futile given that it is relatively easy for determined file-sharers to mask their identity or their activity to avoid detection; acknowledges that illicit file-sharing only costs rights-holders money when people download infringing content in preference to buying it; further notes that identifying offenders using the Internet Protocol address of a specific machine may punish those who share a web connection; and calls on the Government to ensure that any citizen accused of illicit file-sharing is given the right to legal redress in a court of law before sanctions are imposed.

EDM 436
FUTURE OF LOCAL RADIO
10.12.2009

Grogan, John
That this House is concerned that the Digital Economy Bill in its present form will threaten the future of local radio by creating a two-tier radio industry in which over 100 local stations, that do not have a clear digital migration path, are consigned to an uncertain future on the analogue spectrum once digital switchover has occurred; notes that, with 46 million adults listening to the radio every week and only three per cent. of listeners expressing dissatisfaction with their present service, radio is thriving in its current form; requests the Government to protect the future of local radio by ensuring that where appropriate, all local radio stations have a viable digital migration path; and calls on the Government to address this before committing the industry to analogue switch-off.

Category: Campaigns, Politics
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3 Responses to “Ann Cryer and the Digital Economy Bill”

  1. JRH
    April 14th, 2010 @ 9:49 am

    All explained by a three line whip. Even Tom Watson "felt sick" after disobeying the party whips. Why was everyone whipped so hard? Follow the money…

  2. jackharrybill
    April 14th, 2010 @ 9:53 am

    I am still surprised that Ann who voted against many issues felt that she had to fall in with a three line whip hours before she stopped being an MP. She would cross the line on some issues quite happily.

  3. Tweets that mention Ann Cryer and the Digital Economy Bill : JackHarryBill -- Topsy.com
    April 14th, 2010 @ 11:20 am

    [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by John Sargent, Adam Sargant. Adam Sargant said: RT @jackharrybill: Ann Cryer (ex)MP and the Digital Economy Bill http://bit.ly/cr6RCO #debill [...]

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