When Britain's Conservative Party wanted to show off its policy on the environment to journalists recently, it didn't run a fancy video, or organize a trip to a beautiful forest. Instead, the Tories brought out a notebook computer and displayed the 'Green Manifesto' on their Web site. The party of yesterday's values was quietly proving that it can play by tomorrow's rules.
Internet culture is arguably less a part of life in Britain than it is in North America.
But the Net's role in the last U.S. presidential race helped convince politicians here of its importance. So parties ranging from Labour and the Conservatives to the decidedly alternative Monster Raving Loony Party all have Web presence. The Tory election site is crisp and classical, with the party's signature shade of blue helping to reinforce its origins. The opposition's target audience includes young first-time voters. At London's pioneering Cyberia cybercafe, chairman Eva Pascoe says that while events like online chat sessions with politicians have been popular, she doesn't notice many people looking for election information.