The internet and the 2010 election
"Described
variously as a non event, the dog that didn't bark and a flop, the UK's
first net election shocked all but the wise and sober in failing to
refashion the landscape of British electoral politics"
That was
Stephen Coleman talking about the 2001 General Election in the Hansard
Society's 'Cyberspace Odyssey: Elections in the age of the Internet'.
Nine years on, has much changed? Twitter, Facebook, blogs: 2010 was
supposed to be Britain's first ‘internet election', but, in the end, it
was the televised leaders' debates that really captured the public
imagination. There was no pivotal moment at which we entered the age of
internet politics but the 2010 election shows how the internet has
become a ‘business as usual' space for people and, with this, for
politics and campaigning.
With contributions from some key
election observers and practitioners, this short volume sets out to cut
through some of the hype that surrounded the election and provide some
empirical evidence of the internet's place in the election and also
assess what realistically we might expect from the internet. Edited by
Rachel Gibson, Andy Williamson and Stephen Ward and with contributions
from Mark Pack, Matthew McGregor and Will Straw, this volume lifts the
lid on what really happened online and stands as a reference on the 2010
election and an informative guide to anyone interested in political
campaigning online.
Download The internet and the 2010 election putting the small ‘p’ back in politics? here.