‘You are smarter than the councillors’

Ely businessman Peter Dawe hopes to pioneer ‘digital democracy’ if elected as mayor of Peterborough and Cambridgeshire.

Under a Dawe mayoralty we would get to vote online on how our money is distributed, with the combined authority having millions to spend on transport and housing.

This would clampdown on what Mr Dawe sees as the undue influence of lobbying and special interests on policies.

“People in the street are so smart ,” he said .“We could actually have a vote and say ,‘ how much do you want to spend on gritting roads?’ and determine spending levels by that.

“It’s got to be an experiment. The great thing is the technology’s there. Over time we will engage more and more people to do it. And later on it get seven more exciting because why should it be the pol- itici an sand mayor that ask the questions?

“My hope is, if we demonstrate this digital democracy, it will be adopted in ever bolder circles.”

He added: “The combined intelligence of the electorate is greater than the councillors.”

Mr Dawes too dun successfully for UK IP in East Cambridgeshire District Council elections in 2013, but resigned his party membership once Britain voted to leave the European Union.

Theentrepreneur, who described the EU as “evil,” said: “I just see Brussels as a corrupt cesspit of self-interest and self-aggrandizing of the worst sort of politicians.”

He claimed that toilet paper is no longer as strong as it used to be because of EU regulations (on the back of lobbying by manufacturers) so people have to buy more of it.