Election on the net

THERE has been a lot happening online in these elections.

Perhaps slightly ahead of the others were the Liberal Democrats which produced online films called A Voice For Whitstable and Protecting Canterbury.

These were “broadcast” on YouTube and from their website www.cantlibdem.org.uk. The Lib Dems also launched their manifesto online.

Labour launched their manifesto on the web using its spruced-up website www.canterburylabour.co.uk. Both made good use of the web.

On Facebook the protagonists from each of the three major parties were vying for your attention through their official groups and pages. Several of the candidates even had their own personal Facebook page as well.

Canterbury Labour has a good Facebook presence and were on Twitter at @cantlabour.

Canterbury Conservatives (www.canterburyconservatives.com) preferred to dedicate their webtime to promoting MP Julian Brazier. But they were on Facebook as were some of their candidates.

There was plenty Twitter activity – though not necessarily branded as party political. @neilwhitstable (Neil Baker) and @alexcanterbury (Alex Perkins) were probably the busiest.

Twitter has gained in popularity in recent years and proved that a strong presence in social media can go a long way in spreading key messages to potential voters and supporters.

It’s all a matter of taste but success or failure will depend on how each party managed to get its message across.

In the third of the