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Many politicians have adopted Twitter as a means of making an announcement and loads of them will engage properly.

Unless you’ve been in hiding since May you’ll be aware that we’ve had a new Government in the UK for a few months. Like Barack Obama's election to the US Presidency in 2008, the UK general election was predicted to be the first in which social media would play a large part. This didn’t in fact happen; it was there in the background but the first ever Prime Ministerial debates on TV meant that if this was anything it was the television election.

It was possible to get a bit more politically active through your computer, though - or at least to make a start. Many politicians, for example, have adopted Twitter as a means of making an announcement and loads of them will engage properly. Novelist turned Conservative MP Louise Mensch is @louisemensch, Lord Prescott is @johnprescott and there are numerous others. Lord Prescott certainly replies to things in person, but Barack Obama (@barackobama) is a little busier and he’s certainly never replied to me.

More opportunities to have your say

Politicians and interest groups often use electronic media, whether Twitter, Facebook, blogs or a more straightforward website, which anyone with a connection can find.

In the last few years a number of electronic petitions websites have sprung up such as petition.co.uk, and famously Number Ten.

If you set up or sign a petition then of course you can publicise it through Twitter, Facebook or other social websites - you can see how the petition might grow. Inevitably many pressure groups have emailing lists as well, which you can use as a jumping off point for further activity and to get more involved.

It’s great because...

For people with computers and an internet connection this is of course good as it makes it easier to get involved and means the privilege of access to more information. For instance the website TheyWorkForYou.com allows people to see how their MP is voting in parliament and the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News site publishes details of what ministers claim on expenses. If you like Twitter, Tweetminster is a place where you can find your MP and post a message to their account.

It’s not great because...

The flipside of this is that if the bulk of political engagement shifts too much towards the electronic media too quickly then there’s a risk that people who aren’t fully digitised will become disenfranchised. My job keeps me at a computer most of the time, I’m writing and usually have an internet browser running in the background. I see my emails as they come in and I check Twitter frequently.

Political inactivism

To look at another possible drawback I refer us again to Lord Prescott of Twitter. Everyone on Twitter has a little picture next to their name which appears next to all of their Tweets. Lord P has a slogan instead, 'Save NHS Direct' (or at least he does as I write). Other people use their Twitter pictures to carry banners - their picture appears with 'Save 6 Music' underneath it.

As part of a considered campaign to raise awareness these things are useful. The problem is that some people put something up online and think they’ve done it. They tick the box, they sign a petition, they alter their picture a bit and that’s their bit of activism for the day.

Politicians, meanwhile, aren’t fooled; they can spot a political move that didn’t actually involve as much effort as getting dressed and leaving the house and I have no doubt these things will be weighted accordingly.

If online engagement with politics and the decision making processes is used as a substitute for the real thing then frankly I have doubts as to its effectiveness. As part of an overall effort, though, as one of the prongs in an overall strategy in getting something done or drawing attention to a good cause, the electronic media should be an excellent starting point.