Goodbye Gordon: The Labour Tech Legacy

2. Digital Economy Act

The much-debated and highly controversial Digital Economy Act was finally passed in April 2010, as part of the wash-up process ahead of the general election, despite widespread opposition from MPs, Internet service providers and members of the public. The legislation obliges ISPs to take measures to combat illegal file-sharing – ranging from issuing persistent offenders with warning letters to cutting them off altogether. It also gives ministers the power to alter copyright law by statutory instrument, following a public consultation.

3. Broadband tax

Following the Digital Britain report, the government devised a plan to introduce a 50p-a-month tax on fixed phone lines, which would be used to create a “Next Generation Fund” to subsidise faster broadband in rural areas. However, the Conservative party fiercely opposed the scheme, suggesting the project should be funded by private investment. The government was also criticised for concentrating on coverage rather than broadband quality, and some commentators claimed the fund would fall a long way short of the amount needed for nation-wide coverage.

The tax was originally included in the Finance Bill, but the government was forced to scrap it in order to fast-track the Finance Act and enact the budget ahead of the general election. However, the problem of funding universal broadband still remains.

4. ID Cards

Against the odds, Gordon Brown’s government pushed ahead with plans to bring in national identity cards, linked to a giant database containing personal information on individuals, such as fingerprints and iris scans. The cards were issued in a few trial areas – including Manchester and London – on a voluntary basis, and the Home Office said the ID cards would be available to the rest of the UK by 2011/12. However, financial obstacles and dwindling public support for the scheme have resulted in slow progress, and the Tories previously promised to scrap the scheme if they won power.

5. That YouTube video

In April 2009, following the MPs’ expenses scandal which enraged the nation, Brown released an ill-advised video on YouTube, aiming to show that he’d been listening to the concerns of people in Britain. However, the jovial tone of the video attracted widespread ridicule, and was described by a blogger for The Economist as a “bizarre smiling self-inflicted humiliation”.

The role of YouTube as a political tool had not been previously explored, but Brown’s video demonstrated that it was potentially destructive. However, his appearance at TEDglobal (see below) went down very well on video.

6. Laptops for the poor

Earlier this year, Brown launched a £30m Home Access scheme, to provide 270,000 low-income families with free laptops and broadband access, in an attempt to narrow the digital divide between rich and poor in the UK. He claimed that all families with children aged between seven and 14 would be able to apply for a grant to buy a computer and broadband connection, but children in council care and with specific educational needs would be prioritised. However, at the time politicians were divided over whether the money involved could be better spent on other projects, and there is no guarantee that the scheme will continue under a Tory government.