Politicians embrace new media

Saturday 18 April 2009 | By Heidi Scott, Gosh! Media Copywriter

The recent budget may have marked a new low in the nation's finances but it was also remarkable for something else. The Conservatives had planned an intriguing Internet campaign to run in its wake.

It seems that the Tories – buoyed up by the (relatively) youthful David Cameron, who launched his novel 'Webcameron' video blog back in 2006 – have finally woken up to the potential of new media in the battle for the hearts and minds of British voters. No doubt they have been roused from their reverie by the antics of Barack Obama, who has forged his party into cyberspace through Facebook, blogs, YouTube and Twitter in an attempt to reconnect with younger generations of voters.

According to the Guardian, the Tories chose on-line methods to attack the chancellor's handiwork, with the party actively buying Google keywords in order to direct users to its "live rebuttal" of Mr Darling's speech. Perhaps most interesting of all is the fact that the keywords were not chosen in advance but rather selected in real time as the speech unfolded, so as to employ the optimum phrases.

So, when Google search users typed in "tobacco duty", "budget deficit" and the like, the Conservatives' PPC ads directed them to their site where the budget statement was ambushed. Commenting on his party's web activity, Shadow Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt said, "We understand that it's important for us to serve up our views in different formats, and Google is one of the first places people go to when trying to find information on a given subject." He explained that, by employing a PPC campaign, the Conservatives had allowed people to see "the real impact of the budget on their family finances".

The Tories don't have a monopoly on getting a grip – albeit a rather tardy one – on the new technology, however. The Labour party is also grasping the nettle of the Internet, and the captain of this task is the rather unlikely figure of John Prescott. The former ship's steward, famed for his love of pies and infamous for his parliamentary dalliances, would not perhaps be the first Labour politician to come to mind when considering who should lead the foray into new media. However, the Hull East MP is taking it all in his stride.

With Labour in disarray after the e-mail smears controversy, the party has decided that the time is right to lead a political revolution in social networking. Prescott has called for donations via his blog and Facebook page in order to finance a bus tour that will spearhead his Internet campaign. Online supporters are following his progress via Google Earth, as well as on-line videos, blog posts and Twitter updates.

"We have got to use this technology for serious effect," Mr Prescott told The Times, after delivering a speech to an audience of young black political activists on how to harness the power of the Internet. "Yes, I'm white," he'd quipped when stepping up to the podium. "But I do have a Blackberry!" he'd continued, waving it in the air, before admitting, "I now have four thousand friends on Facebook! In politics I would be lucky to have half a dozen."

This is all quite astonishing, given that, just two years ago, Prescott had gaffed in interview on the Today Programme, "I think it's called the Internet, isn't it, or blogs or something? I've only just got used to letters…I haven't got into all this new technology." And yet, some nine months ago, Prescott posted his first blog on the website LabourHome. Soon he was asking the advice of his Facebook 'friends' as to whether he should purchase a Blackberry or an iPhone. He admitted they'd replied that he should buy both, as he had had two Jags!

What are we to make of Prescott's performance so far? Some commentators think the relaxed style of blogging suits his demeanour. Paul Staines, aka Guido Fawkes, blogged: "Prescott is the real deal, authentic and engaging."

In reality, though, Prescott admits that he pens his blog posts on paper for his son, David, to type up. But he does respond to comments directly on his Blackberry. "It took a while," he admitted. "But I've now got my fingers in the right position."

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