From government online to opposition online

There are a few studies now that look at how MPs are using the web. We're starting to build up a picture of how this is changing over time - from some of the garish early attempts to the slick template-driven virtual companion now seemingly de rigueur with Members. In the UK, however, there's one online phenomenon we've yet to see.

The rise in digital parliamentarians has occurred with no change in power and the same parties remaining in opposition. We are yet to see what effect (if any) switching from one side of the debating chamber to the other has on how MPs use their websites.

In Canada, where the ruling Liberals were turned out into opposition, anecdotally it would look like their web-efforts have stalled. Do political websites suffer the same post-defeat malaise as the physical party? Or is this just a localised event? Interesting too that, according to a Canadian colleague, members of the now ruling Conservatives seems to have ramped up their online activities. Again, is this a co-incidence or an effect of the new found confidence that electoral success brings?

We've got another chance to see whether this pattern is repeatable, this time in Australia. A rout of the Liberal-led Coalition at the last election saw them decimated and the Australian Labor Party in the unfamiliar position of governing. It's perhaps a little early to tell what impact this might have on how and how well individual MPs and Senators use the internet but there are clearly some change already taking place. The now-opposition spokesman on the environment suggests that the internet can be used to demonstrate that the Coalition is serious about issues such as climate change. The Sydney Morning Herald reports Liberal-party sources as recognising that the, 'Coalition "failed abysmally" to fully recognise the importance of the internet during the 2007 federal election campaign, and that John Howard's stilted YouTube appearances did more harm than good.' Strategies are now being developed to change this, including a new Liberals online forum to be launched soon. The model for this online revival, David Cameron's website, of course!

There's one other category of politician who haven't really been covered in the research so far but for whom the internet seems to be playing an increasingly important role. This is the prospective parliamentary candidate hoping to dislodge the incumbent MP. There's evidence that many prospective candidates are turning to the web not just to promote but also to marshal willing bands of door-knockers and leaflet deliverers in their patch via social networking sites. This is an interesting point because, as Lord Norton noted in a recent journal article*, the incumbent MPs appears to have a distinct advantage in this area, even more so after voting themselves a £10,000 allowance for ICT (some spend considerably more than this on their web presence).

As the UK moves closer to a general election it will be interesting to watch the role that the internet plays not only in the formal campaign but in the lead up to it. Can prospective new members of parliament make any impact online, indeed can they use the internet to steal a march on the campaign proper? Or do the resources, time and skills available to elected members mean that this really isn't a level playing field? Watch this space!

Andy Williamson
Director, eDemocracy Programme
a[.]williamson[@]hansard[.]lse[.]ac[.]uk

* Norton, P. (2007). Four Models of Political Representation: British MPs and the Use of ICT. Journal of Legislative Studies, 13(3), 354-369.