MP inundated with weird veg emails

Glyn Davies said while people who sign up to receive emails from lobbying groups have good intentions, the result can be to take time and resources away from issues that may be more urgent.

He said the issue was highlighted last week when his inbox was "inundated" with more than 200 emails inspired by the 38 Degrees group, which enables the public to launch campaigns.

This is the world of 38 Degrees.

The website was set up by David Babbs in the hope it would benefit British democracy by allowing anyone to set up a campaign on a national scale.

Its critics, though, say in many cases it actually gets in the way of free speech.

One example is a recent survey on the public's opinion of the BBC.

It was effectively hijacked by 38 Degrees to the extend that the Government has decided to hold a second one.

Some 192,000 responses were received during the first consultation asking about possible changes to the size and role of the Corporation ahead of charter renewal.

But 177,000 of them - 92 per cent - were whipped up by campaign group 38 Degrees, which sent a series of leading emails to its members encouraging them to take part.

MPs have criticised the organisation for skewing the study and for creating a huge amount of administrative work to deal with general campaign emails coming from 38 Degrees.

This flood of responses on the BBC forced the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to pull 25 staff off normal duties for three months to comb through the messages and reportedly added £250,000 to the consultation's cost. It took 10,000 man hours to count all of the submissions.

Mr Babbs in unapologetic. He believes it is time the power of decision making swung around to the ordinary people.

The Montgomeryshire MP said: "Like all MPs, I like to receive letters and emails from constituents sharing their concerns, asking me to help where I can. Some are long and detailed, outlining often serious problems. The only point I make is than when I have 200 emails a day, inspired by a lobbying group, I either have to give up doing everything else or employ someone to do it - which rather defeats the objective.

"The first mass of emails last week asked me to support a strong independent BBC. Most of these emails are polite but some are not. No bothering to ask me what my view is. Just assuming that a strong independent BBC is something that wouldn't have crossed my mind," he said.

"The reality is that I am an enthusiastic member of the BBC and it would be difficult to find a greater supporter of a strong independent BBC than I am. Yet the emails keep pouring in."

He said it was the second campaign, asking him to attend a debate at Westminster to discuss mis-shapen vegetables and out of date fruit, presented more issues.

He said: "I totally agree with the aims of this bill before the House of Commons, but it's a Private Members Bill which may not even be reached and with no chance of reaching the statute book unless the Government decides to run with it as a Government Bill.

"But let's just consider the consequences if I were to respond by going to London. Firstly, I would have to cancel my entire day in Montgomeryshire to spend eight or nine hours on the road or train. At 10am on that morning I was at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital meeting the NHS Hospitals Trust to discuss the future of NHS care for Montgomeryshire constituents, plus patient concerns that have been raised with me. I then had to move sharpish to reach Llanidloes High School by 12.15pm for a session with the very active and opinionated Sixth Form. I think engaging with young people to be important work. Then it's a TV interview for Byd ar Bedwar about access to broadband in Montgomeryshire. Then to my Welshpool office to sign off some letters and hopefully make it to a Sports Awards Ceremony at Theatre Hafren.

"Every single one of the 100 plus emails asked to cancel all of my programme to travel to London."