Opportunities and Principles of Using Digitalization in the Dialogue of Society and the Public Authorities in the UK on the Example of the Greater London Authority

Abstract

The UK is one of the leaders in the use of digital tools in the interaction of government institutions and citizens. Now we are witnessing an active dialogue between various British institutions precisely in the digital dimension, as the transfer of data on vaccinations and hospitalizations from hospitals to other structures is carried out thanks to blockchain technologies. Of course, the explosion of interest in the use of digital events was provided by the coronavirus. However, it provided not only an increase in the importance of «numbers» in British society, but also greatly contributed to the disunity of citizens, especially in the context of access to the Internet infrastructure. To this day, this very task remains the main one in the respective strategies. At the same time, individual cities and regions of the country are more actively solving the task. London and the activities of the mayor’s office should be pointed out as the most illustrative example. For the services of the mayor’s office, it was necessary to ensure the transparency of the decisions made, to form and strengthen the trust of citizens. As part of the analysis, the author comes to the conclusion that for the most part, these tasks can be considered completed. The purpose of this article is basing on an analysis of specific digital tools and examples of the implementation of digital strategies for 2017 and 2021 to identify how a particular metropolis has formed permanent channels of communication and interaction between decision-making institutions and citizens.