"It's time to focus on Go On", says Martha Lane Fox as she steps down from UK digital champion role
Martha Lane Fox has stepped down from her role as UK digital champion for the UK Government, a position she took up in June 2010, telling The Drum that she is looking to focus on Go On.
Charity Go On was set up by Lane Fox in 2012, and aims to encourage those not already online to embrace the internet.
She told The Drum: "I've spent five years as digital champion - it's time to focus on Go On activity."
Lane Fox, who was co-founder of lastminute.com and earlier this year took her seat in the House of Lords, stepped down from her role late last month in a letter to Prime Minister David Cameron which said: “Go On UK will of course continue to work closely with the newly created digital inclusion team in GDS, and I will continue to be a critical friend from the House of Lords. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to do this very rewarding role – I have loved it.”
During her time as the UK digital champion, Lane Fox’s report to Francis Maude on the future of Directgov led to the creation of the Government Digital Service (GDS) and the move to a single domain for all government information: something which has since won design of the year from the Design Museum.
Other achievements during her time as UK digital champion include Race Online 2012 – a campaign which led to the creation of Go On – and the fact that all European member states have now appointed their own digital champions.
Lane Fox recently discussed her views on the digital skills gap, how to control your digital footprint and the future of the NHS in an interview with The Drum as part of its women in digital focus - a series created to inspire young girls to choose the digital industry for their careers.