Broken links? Tory technology policy examined | Magazine | Progress

The impression of a fully worked up piece of policy is undermined when you realise that most of the content sits in other manifestos

A while ago, the Conservatives started talking a lot about technology. They sharpened their new media operation when Rishi Saha, Craig Elder and Sam Coates came on board and, together, wrested the party's online output away from the policy wonks and press office old boys. A recent profile in Wired magazine cemented the idea, at least in the geek collective, that the Conservatives are leading the way online.

But what's interesting is how the ideological online divide is playing out. The Conservatives have an attack-dog website that responds quickly to a daily agenda. Look at the speed with which they reacted to the BA strike - an early decision was taken to focus on the issue and the massive site front page was given over to the issue for the day.

Labour, without the advantages of a big online spend, has had to innovate. The Conservatives have shown that money can buy a tasty website (it cost £240k to set up) and talented people to make it fly. But Labour's ability to build a community in the online world has enabled the party to subvert the ultra-slick opposition machine. What an inversion of the power balance! Labour is in power, but has been able to achieve cut-through in an overwhelmingly cynical mass media audience by subverting the messaging of an opposition that has become too much like government.

via progressives.org.uk

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