Jeremy Corbyn Hopes To Learn From Bernie Sanders In Digital General Election Fight

Corbyn Hopes To Learn From Sanders In Digital General Election Fight
Jane Barlow/PA Wire

Jeremy Corbyn will pledge to draw up a digital bill of rights as part of a new manifesto to promote and harness the internet as he continues to tour the country in his Labour leadership campaign.

Delivering a speech in London’s East End tech capital, he will promise to “democratise the internet” and use it to create “the most visible general election campaign ever”.

And he will highlight technical innovations made by his team, including the Canvassing App which was inspired by the Bernie Sanders campaign in the United States, as the way forward for political campaigning.

The promises are part of his seven-point “digital democracy manifesto” designed to extend and protect peoples’ internet rights.

Jeff J Mitchell via Getty Images

Appearing at Newspeak House Shoreditch on Tuesday morning, he will say: “My leadership campaign is leading the way in harnessing the advances of new technology to organise political campaigning like we’ve never seen before.

“The creativity of the networked young generation is phenomenal. We have thousands of young volunteers on our campaign taking part in this digital revolution.

“We will channel this new energy and creativity into Labour’s general election campaign whenever it comes, it’s in this way that Labour can get back into government.

“Labour under my leadership will utilise the advances of digital technology to mobilise the most visible general election campaign ever.

“There is also a clear need for more online democracy and our manifesto today sets out how Labour would democratise the internet in order to rebuild and transform Britain, so that no-one and no community is left behind.”

As part of his digital manifesto he will announce plans for high speed broadband and mobile connectivity for every household, company and organisation in Britain, no matter how rural.

He will also promise to launch a public consultation to draw up a digital bill of rights, and develop a digital citizen passport - a voluntary scheme that will provide Britons with a secure and portable identity for their on-line activities.

Mr Corbyn will also pledge to create a free on-line hub of learning resources for his planned National Education Service and to require all publicly funded software and hardware is released under an Open Source licence.

He will also promise to foster more cooperative ownership of digital platforms by getting his proposed national investment bank to fund websites and apps designed to slash the cost of connecting producers with consumers.

And he will say he will utilise the internet to promote popular participation in politics.

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