Labour tries to emulate Obama

I saw this yesterday and was going to blog about it then but got caught up in other stuff last night so didn’t get round to it. Now other people have started to blog about it I thought I better get cracking – don’t want to be left behind.

Right. Labour have launched Labourspace - hot on the tail of Labourlist – another part of their attempt to do social networking and “be part of the conversation” (or whatever marketing bollocks their consultants told them).

And in true labour fashion it’s crap. I’m not going to go over the look and tone as Dave Briss has covered that off. My main problem is with the strategy. Essentially, what they’ve made is a popularity contest, a sort of X-factor for people who have a minor gripe and too much time on their hands.

This site will not reinvigorate the political process or encourage a whole new generation to engage in politics. It’s too simple and too narrow in scope – much like tfl’s attempt at a social network.

The new wave of political engagement is being driven by sites like CtrlAltShift – Christian Aid’s Youth network. Here there’s a blend of online and offline, content creation, participation and action. Most importantly, there’s a clear cause.

What most people seem to forget when discussing Obama’s campaign is that there was a clear cause with a specific goal over a definied time period. It was something that people could get behind because they could see measureable progress. From this, the engagement and the action naturally follow.

That’s what political engagement is lacking in Britain (and not just in the digital sphere) – a clear cause.