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Politics

The next general election will be won and lost on the internet

Tim Montgomerie

Wednesday, 6th June 2007

This creative side of the internet isn’t properly understood by Britain’s political parties. They still see the web as a way of providing superior distribution channels for unchanged messages. They are in ‘send mode’ — analogue politicians in a digital age. The political parties that prosper in the internet age will embrace ‘receive mode’. The most successful parties will be online communities mixing news, debate and policy formulation. As every year passes, the distinction between politicians, journalists and think tanks will become more and more blurred as they each resemble one other.

Stage one of the internet’s impact on politics is already seeing voters evolve from passivity to activism — writing blogs for existing parties and perhaps giving money to them. Stage two will see the real revolution. Coalitions of voters that are unhappy with the existing parties will have the power to fundraise themselves, develop their own slate of candidates and construct a political manifesto. If our existing political parties do not find a way of building online communities that channel that power, they will die.

Tim Montgomerie is editor of ConservativeHome.com.

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