Jimmy Leach

NMA (www.nma.co.uk) readers have voted Jimmy Leach, the Head of Digital Communications at 10 Downing Street, as the person who has made the greatest individual contribution to new media over the past year.

Today's front page story highlights the fact that he set up the ePetitions strategy which has “enabled a generation to feel engaged in politics and has given each citizen a voice to talk directly to 10 Downing Street."

His decision to launch a 10 Downing Street YouTube channel has also been praised fro showing “that those in charge are willing to meet young people in their own environment”.

Praise indeed.

Whether young people came to have a look is another matter as is whether people do feel that the ePetitions service is giving them an effective voice in Government.

Nevertheless, this is clear evidence that new media is offering up new channels of communication between politicians and public, which are being used at least to some extent. And hopefully this is playing some small part in strengtheing our democracy