Home affairs spokesperson attends Howard League crime hustings on Twitter

26 March 2010

Ben Duncan, the Green Party's Home Affairs spokesperson, took part today in a "twitter"-based online "Question Time" event about crime and justice issues, organized by the Howard League for Penal Reform.

Duncan (a councillor in Brighton and Hove who sits on the Sussex Police Authority) spent a half hour answering members of the public's questions about Green Party crime and prisons policy in 140 characters or less - in what's already been dubbed a "twitchat."

Cllr Duncan, who is also the Green Party's parliamentary candidate in Brighton Kemptown, said: "The rise of new social media has already had an enormous impact on this election campaign - and it hasn't even officially begun yet! I am delighted to have been asked to take part in this twitchat. I'm always pleased to present the Green Party's views, in any way residents' or campaigning groups wish to seek them."

"Some have argued that it's pretty hard to present policy meaningfully in such tiny messages, but I disagree really."

"After all, it doesn't take many words to spell out the Green Party's view on crime and policing. I was able to say we shouldn't be locking children up. We should be concentrating on making justice more driven by the needs of victims. And we shouldn't be building more prisons."

Twitter users can view the debate in full by searching for the #TA2010 hashtag on twitter, twitter.com - other Internet users can do so at the Howard League's website.

 

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