News that the Liberal Democrats have been ordered by the Information Commissioner’s Office to halt their automated phone calls and Nick Clegg’s subsequent reported response to this decision pretty much sums up the arrogance of relative youth, specifically in relation to politicians, who should know better.

Anyone that has ever received an automated call will know just how infuriating they are. The Liberal Democrats, seeking to be a party that embraces new technology, went ahead anyway. Of course there are rules, because companies are not allowed to use automated calls for direct marketing purposes, unless the recipient has specifically opted in. The Liberal Democrats tried to argue that it was not direct marketing, but the Information Commissioner’s Office did not agree. The LibDems said that because they were also asking people questions on what they thought about the party’s policies, it should not be considered direct marketing, this was evidently a way to circumvent the rules. We should all be asking ourselves if this can truly be a party for government, if they go ahead and do something that they know we all find irritating in the knowledge that it was likely to be against the rules. Surely they could have asked first, before they embarked on this programme, at least that may have been more responsible. 

Worse still was Nick Clegg’s response. He apparantly denied that the evening calls were likely to anger people or disturb them when they are trying to get children to sleep or are relaxing watching TV, he is reported to have said “I rather hope it won’t disturb. People don’t have to pick up the phone if they don’t like the time at which the call is made.” What an arrogant response, how are we to trust someone that has such little regard to the voters right to avoid unsolicited calls from a machine?

For anyone that may believe the Liberal Democrats just made an honest mistake, it is worth noting the comments made by Tricia Marwick, the MSP for the Scottish National Party who said: “The hypocrisy of the Lib Dems in making these calls knows no bounds. Having reported other parties for making similar calls and having run a campaign against unwanted telesales calls themselves the Lib Dems were well aware of their actions.”

I believe the statement from Deputy Information Commissioner David Smith, pretty much summed it up when he said: “The ICO has consistently made clear that the promotion of a political party counts as marketing.

“We have previously issued detailed guidance to all major political parties on this subject.

“Many people find unsolicited automated calls particularly intrusive and annoying so it is important that any organisation making such calls ensures that individuals have given their consent before they are targeted.”

Nick Clegg would do well to stop trying to embrace technology that satisfies only the instigator at the expense of the recipient, particularly when he will be relying on these same people to elect his members of parliament at the next election. The party may also do well to note, when challenged, Nick Clegg;s dismissive approach in relation to the people who may have been subjected to these unsolicited calls.