New Labour Online: Let's Get Deep and Meaningful

I am in receipt of another communication from the Labour Supporters Network (no apostrophe), whose logo consists of the words "Labour Supporters Network" with the three letters O hollowed out and joined together. Regrettably, the image of three mutually interpenetrating zeroes with very thin outlines is by far the most cogent and pertinent political comment in the entire message.

The message is signed (personally, I have no doubt) by Peter Watt, the Labour Party General Secretary. Peter Watt is a chubby young skinhead with a lilac shirt and a bruise-coloured tie to match the bags under his eyes. The blinds are down behind him. He urges me to personalise my Labour Supporters Network profile, on the grounds that if I haven't I could be missing out on getting "up to date information on a wide range of issues. To personalise you profile click here." First the apostrophes go, then the hyphens, and finally the genitive case. Peter Watt certainly looks young enough to have had a New Labour education.

Peter Watt has sent me this communication because he wishes to invite me to get involved. "Our Spring 2007 programme has allowed more people than ever to get involved in discussions on a range of issues and challenges facing women, youth and local government," he writes. Events are being organised up and down the country, and thanks to accompanying online activities I can ask my questions to ministers about the big issues of the day. Ministers will obviously be far more forthcoming to me, as a Labour Supporters Networker, than they would be to the House of Commons or in the departmental press release.

I am also invited to get involved with Let's talk: online. Let's talk: online allows me to discuss Labour's policies and the key issues of the day with other members and supporters. All of my comments will feed into the Partnership in Power, Labour's dehyphenated policy making process. As so often in the past, my contributions will help build a stronger Party and help shape its campaigning priorities for the future.

I am also invited to vote in one of Labour's regular "let's talk: you vote" polls. The current question is "Should Labour do more to empower patients?", no doubt to be followed by "Should Labour do more to help business combat climate change?" and perhaps even "Was ousting Saddam Hussein a good thing or what?"

Peter Watt is not the only one doing the inviting, however. Tony Blair has invited people that met him on the 1997 general election campaign trail to submit their stories through the Labour Party's website. Selected people will be invited to Westminster to discuss how things have changed, "for better or worse", with the Prime Minister. Peter Watt hopes that these online initiatives will help me play a more active role in the Party's activities. Peter Watt and his colleagues really want to hear what I think so I am invited to have my say "using the many interactive features or find a spring event near you!"