E-campaigning

MPs have been using e-newsletters for some years as a communication tool. As with every Internet modality, some are good (such as Steve Webb and Nick Palmer) many indifferent and some poor.

Occasionally an MP uses this technology in a way that makes you sit up and listen. Tim Farron starts his e-newsletter this month with:

"Can you help me this Saturday (3 October) in the campaign to bring a cancer treatment unit to the South Lakes? I would be really grateful if you could join me on the last leg of my walk from the Royal Preston Hospital to Westmorland General Hospital, highlighting the distance cancer patients currently have to travel for treatment. We will be handing over the 8,000-strong petition supporting a new unit in Kendal to local health bosses at the hospital.

Please come to the playing fields at Kirkbie Kendal school on Lound Road in Kendal at 10am.

When I reach Kirkbie Kendal, I will already have walked over 40 miles from the nearest cancer unit currently, which is at Royal Preston Hospital, after meeting patients and the excellent staff there. I will be walking through the night so if you see me give me a wave!

If you want to sign the petition in support of the new unit you can still do so here: http://www.timfarron.co.uk/petitions/2.html


I have noted that the best e-newsletters from MPs do more than just updating receipients on local news, outlining what they are doing on behalf of constituents and explaining their voting behaviour. I am not knocking this, as all of this information based material is at the core of an MPs representative role. But the best e-newsletters from time to time go beyond this and either seek to engage in a conversation about issues, or ask the subscriber to do something. Yes, Farron is clearly showing how hard he works, but he is actively doing something to highlight an issue, and he is calling for help. To me this is a good example of how the Internet can help support constituency based campaigns.