--- title: Mobile First For Reading Lib-Dems description:

Remember Labour’s famous election pledges text messages in 2001? Local Lib Dems have gone one better this time.

--- [![](https://blog.masabi.com/hs-fs/hubfs/masabi%20186.png?width=150&name=masabi%20186.png "masabi 186.png")](http://www.masabi.com/) 08-Apr-2005 19:32:34 by [Tom Godber](https://blog.masabi.com/blog/author/tom-godber) # Mobile First For Reading Lib-Dems - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) 8th April, London Remember Labour’s famous election pledges text messages in 2001? Local Lib Dems have gone one better this time. They are using mobile phone technology to invite voters to produce their alternative budget on the cost of the Iraq War. Aimed especially at mobile phone savvy younger voters, the Java based application provides opportunities to distribute the £5bn cost of the war into alternative areas of spending such as health, education, policing and the environment. Those taking part can then see how their own budgets compare with the national totals. They can also pass the 'game' onto friends by a simple SMS message. Full details can be found at http://www.masabi.com/www.iraqcost.com/. John Howson, Reading East's prospective parliamentary candidate for the Liberal Democrats, said "Reading has the largest concentration of ICT companies in the UK. Making use of new technology is a good way to engage a section of the population who are used to mobile phones and texting, but don't find most political campaigning of interest." He added, "This way they can tell us what they think about the key issue of the past four years. There is no doubt that the Iraq war will decide how many people vote in the general election." Masabi, who designed the Iraqcost application, are a leading mobile phone software company creating mobile phone-based marketing applications and games. They designed their first political application, based upon the same technology, during last year’s US Presidential election race. Ends For more information contact John Howson on 0118 926 2252 or 07958 702292. ### Written by [Tom Godber](https://blog.masabi.com/blog/author/tom-godber) [ ### San Joaquin Regional Transit District Launches Open Payments with Masabi, Delivering “A Faster, Easy Way to Pay” Across Stockton and the Central Valley Jul 2, 2026 ](https://blog.masabi.com/blog/san-joaquin-regional-transit-district-launches-open-payments-with-masabi-delivering-a-faster-easy-way-to-pay-across-stockton-and-the-central-valley) [ ### How SaaS Fare Collection Keeps Getting Faster at Scale Jun 30, 2026 ](https://blog.masabi.com/blog/how-saas-fare-collection-keeps-getting-faster-at-scale) [ ### Tap, Ride, Repeat: How Masabi Is Scaling Open Payments Across North America Jun 30, 2026 ](https://blog.masabi.com/blog/tap-ride-repeat-how-masabi-is-scaling-open-payments-across-north-america) ### Menu [Fare Payments as a Service](http://www.masabi.com/fare-payments-as-a-service/) [Justride Platform](http://www.masabi.com/justride-mobile-ticketing/) [Account Based Ticketing ](http://www.masabi.com/account-based-ticketing/) [Mobility as a Service](http://www.masabi.com/mobility-as-a-service/) [Mobile Ticketing ](http://www.masabi.com/mobile-ticketing/) [Contactless EMV](http://www.masabi.com/contactless-emv-ticketing/) [Blog](https://blog.masabi.com/blog) [Content ](http://www.masabi.com/resources/) [Careers ](http://www.masabi.com/we-are-hiring/) [Contact Us ](https://www.masabi.com/about/) [Request a Demo ](https://info.masabi.com/justridedemo) ### About Justride Masabi’s Justride is the leading Fare Payments platform for public transport. Transit agencies and operators can sign up to mobile ticketing services, enable Mobility as a Service (MaaS) and deploy an account-based system allowing passengers to simply tap a contactless bank card, mobile device and smartcard to travel, without needing to buy a ticket or understand fares. With over seventy agencies of all sizes across ten countries signed up, Justride is leading the movement away from bespoke and expensive ticket systems to Fare Payments as a Service. ### About Masabi At Masabi we believe a new Fare Payments system allowing passengers to just tap and ride, without needing to buy a ticket or understand fares, should be available to every passenger and every transit agency around the globe, without prohibitive costs or taking years to deliver. By providing a Fare Payments platform which is constantly improving and connected with leading mobility applications (for full first-last mile journeys) Masabi is helping passengers move seamlessly from A to B, attracting more people to conveniently ride public transit. ### Masabi Newsletter © Masabi Services - All Right Reserved. **