This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk_politics/6414707.stm

The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
60 voters discuss policy at No 10 60 voters discuss policy at No 10
(about 3 hours later)
Sixty British citizens are meeting ministers at 10 Downing Street to discuss government policy. Sixty British citizens have met ministers at 10 Downing Street to discuss government policy.
The voters, representing a cross-section of society, will take part in the Citizen Forum to debate and vote on policies for public services. The voters, chosen to represent a cross-section of society, took part in a Citizen Forum to debate and vote on policies for public services.
Labour Chairman Hazel Blears will be among the ministers at the meeting, which is part of a six-month policy review by the government. Labour Chairman Hazel Blears was among the ministers at the meeting, which is part of a six-month government policy review. Tony Blair did not attend.
The findings will be presented to a meeting of the Cabinet on Thursday.The findings will be presented to a meeting of the Cabinet on Thursday.
The voters, chosen by pollsters Ipsos Mori as representative of British society, will discuss public services, the role of the state and crime. Participants were debating and then voting on statements such as: "The police should spend more time on the beat and the streets, even if it means less time spent investigating more serious crime."
Views heard I'm not cynical, but I'd say I'd be very keen to see how this all translates into policy Participant Anna Tees-Nutt class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/6414407.stm">Citizens speak up
Ben Page, from Ipsos MORI and one of the organisers of the forum, told BBC Five Live the forum was designed to let the government know what ordinary people think. Although not there in person, the prime minister sent a video message in which he assured participants their views would be taken into account.
He added: "I don't think this is actually going to make decisions, that's the role of government, that's the role of parliament, but what it does do is let them have a much better idea about how different people see things, and also how workable some of their ideas might be." But Conservatives accused the government of using taxpayers' money to carry out Labour Party research.
And anti-war campaigners said it was "farcical" that Mr Blair appeared ready to listen to the voices of a small hand-picked group, when he ignored more than one million people who marched in the streets against the invasion of Iraq.
'Profound dialogue'
The voters, chosen by pollsters Ipsos Mori as representative of British society and paid £50 to attend, were discussing public services, the role of the state and crime.
The forum is part of the government's ongoing policy review process, a cross-departmental initiative which aims to look at the challenges for the UK in the next decade.The forum is part of the government's ongoing policy review process, a cross-departmental initiative which aims to look at the challenges for the UK in the next decade.
I don't see how 60 people in a room is going to have an impact on policy that is already decided Participant Thea Price class="" href="/1/hi/uk_politics/6414407.stm">Citizens speak up The review has been looking at issues ranging from public services to the role of the state, crime, Britain and the world, economic dynamism and energy and the environment.
Minister for the Cabinet Office and Social Exclusion Hilary Armstrong and Chief Secretary to the Treasury Stephen Timms will also attend the meeting. Conclusions are due to be announced in mid-March and will set a direction for government policy over the coming decade.
In a pre-recorded video presentation to be played at the forum, Prime Minister Tony Blair tells participants that their discussions will help form government policy. Mr Blair said the forum would allow a "far more profound dialogue" than was usually possible between politicians and the public, and said that the discussions would "certainly help form government policy".
Mr Blair also says previous forums around the country revealed that people's expectations of public services were rising, but that there was "a bigger understanding, in a way, than I expected of the limits to government and also people's sense that they have a responsibility as well". 'Charade'
'Dialogue needed' Participant Anna Tees-Nutt, 32, from Sutton Coldfield, told the BBC News website there had been a huge range of different opinions and experiences.
Mr Blair suggests that the recent 1.8 million signatures against road pricing was prompted by media coverage and headlines, not by a full appreciation of the issues involved. "I'm not cynical, but I'd say I'd be very keen to see how this all translates into policy," she said.
Once people were informed about the problems of increasing traffic congestion, they would approach the debate differently, he says. However the session overall had changed her opinion of politics "phenomenally", she said, "in terms of how complex the analysis is that goes on".
Mr Blair goes on to say that politics is done a "power of good" when politicians "are able to have a far more profound dialogue and conversation with people". Conservative shadow Cabinet Office minister Oliver Heald condemned the use of taxpayers' money to "do the Labour Party's dirty work" and said public funds should not be spent on "helping them cook up new policies".
But participant Thea Price, who has already taken part in a regional forum, told the BBC's Today programme that she did not expect it to have any impact on government policy. Andrew Burgin, of the Stop the War Coalition, said: "The majority of people in this country are opposed to the war in Iraq - two million went on the march in 2003 - and Tony Blair has failed consistently to listen to that message for four years.
'No influence' "It is a charade that he should now say he will listen to 60 hand-picked people. It marks a nail in the coffin of democracy in this country that this is presented as a serious exercise in policy-making."
She said it was "dangerous" to think that a small group of people with limited information could represent the entire country.
"I don't see how 60 people in a room is going to have an impact on policy that is already decided.," she added.
"Real participation and engagement takes a lot longer and a lot more.
Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden, who has overseen the Citizen Forum process, said it was the job of a responsible government to ensure it was ready to tackle the long-term challenges facing the country.
"The Ipsos Mori Citizen Forums are just one way in which we are working with the public to capture their views and involve them in this discussion - we've done this already with similar structured consultations on pensions and health."