e-voice in Birmingham

This morning I attended the launch of e-voice in Birmingham.
About 200 people, mostly from the Voluntary & Community sector, came to the Central Library to hear how they can use a Government-sponsored "free" website as a form of strengthening civic society.
Tremendous functionality ....an excellent demonstration .... lots of interest, but some concern in questions from the floor.
What guarantee was there, they asked that funding would continue for this project? The CLG representative responded as well as any civil servant could, but clearly no-one can predict the volatile priorities of politicians.
A recent Report on Partnerships confirmed that one of the big inhibitors to successful development is stop-go funding.
The e-democracy movement has been held back by a reluctance to invest strategically; much of what exists is very tactical and the result of a handful of enthusiasts in each Authority.
In the Consultation Institute, we've concluded that we are close to the tipping point where the benefits of going ahead with e-participation are becoming overwhelming. Initiatives such as e-voice, and the backing of top Councils such as Birmingham, hold the promise of widening the user base of this technology and adding to the momentum for early adoption. I wish them well.