Tom Watson admitted the e-petitions had proved "very, very controversial" A minister has praised Downing Street's e-petitions - currently topped by one calling for Gordon Brown to resign - for its insight into the public mood. To date, the "resign" petition has attracted over 61,000 signatures. Digital Engagement Minister Tom Watson told a Lords Committee the e-petitions site was an "excellent" example of online government communication. He added: "OK, it's not scientific, but it allows you to gauge the mood of the nation to a certain degree." 'Narrow petitions' Giving evidence before the House of Lords Information Committee on Wednesday, Mr Watson acknowledged that the e-petitions section of the Downing Street website had proved "very, very controversial" at its launch. But he said it was one reason why the Downing Street site was an "exemplar" as it allowed citizens "to make a statement of interest directly". The "resign" petition, which is the most popular open one, was begun by Labour-supporting academic Kalvis Jansons, who said he was disillusioned with Mr Brown. For parliamentarians, we are not going to get it right straight away

Tom Watson

Digital Engagement Minister In its petition's introduction, Mr Jansons says: "There are many reasons why we might want Brown to resign, but rather than having lots of narrow petitions on this topic (most of which have been rejected), I wanted one for all of us." The deadline to sign it is 22 October. Petitioners are promised a response from the government if they attract more than 200 signatures. But Downing Street has not so far commented on whether it will provide a formal response to this petition. Mr Watson's appearance before the committee came on the same day that he accepted substantial undisclosed libel damages over false claims that he was copied into emails between former Downing Street press adviser Damian McBride and activist Derek Draper and "encouraged" them. 'Very, very wrong' Giving evidence to the committee, Mr Watson also defended the prime minister's widely-criticised performance unveiling expenses reform proposals on the Downing Street website and YouTube. The minister told peers: "Actually, I thought the prime minister did a fairly reasonable job on YouTube. "For parliamentarians, we are not going to get it right straight away. But younger citizens are going to expect us to use these technologies." Nonetheless, Mr Watson, widely acknowledged as the first MP to run a blog, admitted that he had "personal experience myself of YouTube going very, very wrong". That may have been a reference to his, and fellow MP Sion Simon's, spoof of David Cameron's online diary in which they invited voters to sleep with the wife of the Tory leader. The Downing Street petition site has attracted controversy since it was launched in November 2006, with an unnamed government minister describing its creator as a "prat". Its most well-supported petition to date was a campaign against road charging, signed by nearly two million people. Another calling for Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson to be the prime minister was signed by 50,000 people prompting a video response from Number 10, in which it said they had "thought long and hard" about the suggestion but "on second thoughts... maybe not".



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