Update: 95% of 38 Degrees members voted in an online survey that we should work together during the election. But what should we do? To give all members a chance to get involved we’ve launched an online consultation. To get involved sign up here

38 Degrees isn’t a political party. We don’t support a political party. Our members all have different political views, many of us support different parties, and many of us aren’t that keen on any of them.

But we do care what politicians do. The Westminster government has the power to act, or to fail to act, on issues that matter to us. Who’s in charge and what they do affects all our lives. Most of our people-powered campaigns have pushed the government to do something good, or stop doing something bad.

So where does the looming UK general election fit in? Is it a chance for us to work together as an independent, people-powered voice? Could an independent voice challenging all politicians be just what this election needs? Or is a general election, dominated be big-spend advertising and media spin, the very worst time for us to be trying to have an impact?

And if we do decide we should work together during the election, what should we do? Challenge all parties on their plans? Provide un-biased information about candidates’ records? Remind people to vote? Push candidates to support a specific policy? Maybe Recall? Something else entirely?

I’m glad that 38 Degrees is a member-driven organisation and I don’t have to work out these questions on my own. I’m looking forward to seeing what thousands of people think – please get involved and fill in the survey here: http://www.38degrees.org.uk/election/

Back in June, 38 Degrees members took action to make sure that the Iraq Inquiry was held in public.  Thousands of us signed a petition calling for Gordon Brown to drop his commitment to a private inquiry, and the Prime Minister was forced to listen to us.

This month, Tony Blair is giving evidence to the Inquiry.  With the man responsible for taking us to war up for questioning, this is the moment to discover the truth about why we went into Iraq.  But the Inquiry and its leader, Sir John Chilcot, have already been accused of being too lenient on witnesses and leaving important questions unasked. There are also worries that Blair, desperate to save his reputation, will use security concerns as an excuse for not answering tough questions. It’s time for us to put the pressure back on the government. We need to make sure that when Blair gives evidence, he is asked the right questions, in public, and properly held to account.

We asked you to choose the questions that Tony Blair is asked when he gives evidence, and so far we’ve had a massive response.  Many of us just want to express our anger at Blair: for ignoring the views of the people he represented and taking us to war in spite of enormous popular opposition, and for apparently deceiving us about why he was doing so.  Others want Blair to answer for the current mess in Iraq: why wasn’t more done to prepare for the reconstruction of Iraq, post-invasion?  We also want to know about the financial angle: who has profited from the war in Iraq, and to what extent? However, the main focus of the questions is, unsurprisingly, on two issues: did Blair actually believe that going to war was a legitimate and necessary action, or was it a means to other ends, and were the steps that he took to persuade others to support him in this action themselves legitimate?

Please keep the questions coming by signing up on our website, here: http://38degrees.org.uk/blair-iraq-questions/