There’s always an advantage to being the first to use some new technology. Or at least there should be, if it’s done well. While the rest of the world has been thinking up good iPhone (and other mobile) apps for some time, these things are thin on the ground in EU politics. EUssentials and EU Reporter are the only two I’ve used so far.

So then, how does this week’s new offering, Mary Honeyball – The Buzz, fare? Mary is, as far as I am aware, the only MEP to have launched her own iPhone app.

Sorry Mary, but it’s absolutely dire.

Essentially the app makes you read an introduction about Mary, and then provides you with links to her blog, tweets and Facebook page, and a page of further information about her. All of those things you could already find from your browser, or via Facebook or Twitter apps for the iPhone. And, should I – shock horror – forget where to find Mary on the web then I would have Google in my iPhone web browser to assist me.

In short the app does nothing at all that’s not done at least as well elsewhere using apps I already have, and it makes no particular use of the iPhone platform (gestures, maps, GPS etc.) Afraid this one isn’t going to create much buzz…