I just spent a v.pleasant evening on a Soho roof-top terrace at the latest (and perhaps first) BetaGov event.

The idea behind BetaGov is to develop a conversation bewteen policy makers, technologists bloggers and leading lights in the London internet community about the impact of emerging web based social technologies on the conduct of politics, the functioning of democracy, the formulation of public policy and the delivery of publicly funded services.

The reality of the event was fairly close to this concept - although fueled by pizza and beer, with great views across Soho (thanks to Robert Loch).

I met some really interesting people at the event - including Steve Moore from Policy Unplugged, Mick Fealty from Northern Ireland blog Slugger O’Toole, Paul Birch from the mysterious Cominded, and Aaron Scullion from BBC news.

The most interesting discussion came from Aaron from the BBC, and Mick from Slugger O’Toole - a blog that really seems to have given the Northern Irish a voice and debate platform - not that many Northern Irish really need a reason to debate . . .