It's not enough just to have the best policies or the right people in politics these days. What's the point of having a debate if the message doesn't reach anybody? Or if you can't listen to what people are saying they want?
New media offers up a wealth of opportunity for political parties to engage with the public - and the election of Barack Obama shows that the political party who wins the online battle gains a huge advantage.
The Conservatives have led the way when it comes to online campaigning. From Webcameron to the Stand Up Speak Up grassroots policy discussion, from livestreaming the 2008 Party Conference to having the biggest Facebook page of any UK party, we have embraced technology as a way to better engage with the public.
Our commitment to online campaigning was shown by our recent revamp of Conservatives.com, which has given the Party the most up-to-date, informative and accessible website in mainstream British politics.
Independent of the Party’s official online presence, the centre-right has also come to dominate dominate the blogosphere, with sites such as ConservativeHome and Iain Dale well-read and well-respected within Westminster and beyond.
The internet provides political parties with the opportunity to reach a wider audience, especially floating voters and those not already engaged with politics. And my job is to make the Conservatives the party that best embraces the new politics of the internet, through blogs, videos, social networking sites and YouTube – and, ultimately, by ensuring Conservatives.com the best political site on the internet.
