As a Prospective MP, I don't get any salary or expenses, so I also have a full time job in London. Driving home I usually pass through City Airport via the Limehouse Link and often stop at an Esso Garage by the airport to fill up and have a cup of coffee.
Although I am on a diet, I often can't resist a packet of crisps and recently bought one of Walker's new special flavours - Cajun Squirrel. As I drove back Harlow way, I got thinking as to whether I would vote for this flavour or my own favourite - Fish and Chips. And then, being a politician I started to think about Walker's Crisps and politics......
What is the biggest vote currently facing the nation? Is it the local elections? The European elections. Fat chance. Does the answer lies in crisp packets?
In the old days, when a company wanted to develop a new product they might have a few boffins create the idea, followed by focus groups and some marketing here and there. After, the new product would appear on the supermarket shelves. It would succeed by its advertising and by a bit of luck.
Walkers Crisps have turned this approach on its head. Instead of centrally announcing a new flavour of crisps to a munching public, the company invited people to send in recipes which were then voted on - by the public via the text or internet. The winning flavours were reduced to just six.
The company then released these six flavours onto the market and, as crisp lovers will know, are available at most outlets. But Walkers didn't stop there at this exercise in crisp democracy. Every packet bought carries a coloured rosette and allows you to vote (again by text or internet) as to which of the six flavours is preferred. The intention is that after the voting ends, Walkers will introduce the extra flavour based on the voting public's final say so.
I expect many political die-hards will watch Walker's Crisp Democracy with cynicism at another marketing exercise. Yet the truth is that more people will know about this Crisp vote than who their MEP is or local MP for that matter.
So what is the lesson for political parties? Why not try and involve the voting public in decision making much more. Instead of centrally announcing policies, why not invite the public to suggest some as long as they are broadly in line with party principles. Get the public to vote the best ones and then use pilot schemes to try them out.
Want a new bypass? Send in your suggestions fully costed - let people then vote on the best suggestion - fully aware of the cost implications and the increase in local taxes.
Worried about a local hospital closing or a particular ward or department shutting down? Offer people a vote, again noting just what the cost implications are. If they want to keep the hospital open, they have choice of paying an extra xxx on their local council taxes.
I appreciate that the above may be too far reaching and too revolutionary in these difficult times, but it is worth mentioning the above to stimulate debate. The voting public are no longer willing subjects content to vote once every five years. They want real engagement and involvement at every level. Walkers Crisp democracy has shown the way forward.
P.S I still prefer Fish and Chips flavour - I have never tasted squirrel before and had nothing to compare it with!!
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