I’m standing as the Pirate Party’s candidate in the Liberton/Gilmerton by-election for Edinburgh council.

The by-election is happening because at the general election, Cllr Ian Murray was elected to parliament for Edinburgh South. The by-election to replace him will take place on Thursday 9th September.

Britain today is an information society; millions of people now have the internet intervowen into the fabric of their everyday lives. But our leaders are still living in the past. A symptom of this is the Digital Economy Act, where the politicians decided to try to cripple the internet and abolish our civil liberties in order to save the record companies’ obsolete business model.

In addition to digital rights issues, I will be campaigning for better public transport links and increased provision of affordable housing.

To learn more about my manifesto for the city council, or to get in touch with me, please visit my website.

So. The Digital Economy Bill -- soon to be the Digital Economy Act -- has passed its third reading.

Numerous campaigning groups opposed this bill -- The Open Rights Group, Don't Disconnect Us, 38 Degrees. Unfortunately they failed, because politicians don't listen to reasoned argument, and care more about corporate interests than the rights of the British people (there are a few honourable exceptions, for example Tom Watson).

In truth the strategy for waiting for a measure such as the DE Bill to be proposed, and then campaigning against it, was always likely to fail in the long term, because even if the bill had failed, the corporate interests behind it would have resurrected the proposals in a different guise -- for example in the ACTA treaty, or though European legislation. The corporations would only have to succeed once to win, but the digital rights campaigners on the other hand would have to win every time.

I think a different strategy is needed. We need a political party that:

• will put this issue center stage
• will get lots of people to vote for it
• will get its people elected
• will persuade the other parties that taking away people's internet rights is a massive vote loser
• will not just prevent laws from being enacted that take away people's internet freedom, but will actively get laws passed that extend freedom
• and by doing all the above, will beat the corporate interests behind the DE Bill.

Fortunately such a party already exists, the Pirate Party. Everyone who cares about these issues should join it. (If you doubt the truth of this assertion, just ask yourself what would IFPI, the BPI, the RIAA, or the MPAA want you to do? Would they want you to join the Pirate Party, or would they prefer it if you despondently admitted defeat and gave up?)

Together we can and will win. The fight over the DE Bill hasn't ended, it's only just begun.

Tomorrow (Monday) Panorama will be covering the government's plans to disconnect the internet connections of alleged filesharers.

Ever wondered what the internet would look like without net neutrality. Wonder no further:

If you want to prevent this from becoming reality, join the Pirate Party.

Britain is not the only country holding a general election this summer. In the Netherlands, the general election will be held on 9th of June, and the newly-formed Dutch Pirate Party, Piratenpartij Nederland, is hoping to take part.