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While the real analysis of the reasons for Obama’s victory has yet to be completed, it is obvious that e-campaigning played a major role and that its importance will continue to increase. As the main political parties gear up for the next general election, the focus on internet campaigning will intensify.

To what extent has the Labour party understood the potential of this new campaigning medium?
How can the centre-left use it to mobilise ordinary voters to campaign for progressive causes?
And what steps need to be taken to pull the party into the ‘net generation’?

We hoped to find answers to these questions and more at this special one day conference, which brought together over 100 members of the left blogosphere, net-savvy Labour parliamentarians, councillors, organisers and others from the Labour movement who have an interest in e-campaigning and using the net to build a better democracy.

Over 100 bloggers, twitterers and Labour activists attended Progress's conference on e-campaigning on the centre-left on 28 February 2009, and the Twitter feed was the second most popular in the UK that day!

Coverage included:

‘Saturday’s Progress conference 'Labour 2.0: campaigning for the net generation' was a big success. With distinguished leaders in the field speaking and sharing ideas, including Joe Rospars, Greg Jackson, Sue Macmillan and Tory Trolll - as well as a productive debate between ConservativeHome’s Tim Montgomerie and LabourList editor Derek Draper - many attendees left with a new sense of vigour and enthusiasm for what Labour people can do online.’ - LabourList

'When I put together plans for a Progress conference on e-campaigning a few months back, I didn't realise how timely it would be. Back then it seemed that the internet was dominated by ConservativeHome, Guido, Iain Dale and a rather swish Tory HQ website with WebCameron having made a splash. But it's amazing what a little bit of leadership and energy can achieve.' - Jessica Asato, The Progressive

'Yesterday, I was lucky enough to speak at the Labour 2.0 conference in London, organised by Progress and sponsored by MessageSpace and Blue State Digital. It was a really great day and bought together all strains of practitioners, campaigners, bloggers and academics working in this area and supportive of progressive political aims (you can see how it panned out by following our twitter hashtag here).' - Nick Anstead, nickanstead.com

'Labour will push ahead with developing a number of new ideas for communicating over the internet following this weekend's new media conference.' - David Singleton, PR Week

‘I spent yesterday afternoon at Canary Wharf at Progress' Labour 2.0 conference. I took part in a panel discussion on whether Labour could dominate the internet while still in office (my answer being 'no'). Also on the panel were Prospect magazine's James Crabtree (thank you James, btw, for the very generous remarks about ConHome) and LabourList's Derek Draper.’ - Tim Montgomerie, Conservativehome

Video diary of Luke Pollard, Labour's Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for SW Devon, as he spends a day in London helping Terrence Higgins Trust train young people about preventing HIV online and chairing a session at the Progress Conference on Labour's internet campaign. Find out more at Luke's website.

Jen Pufky talks to LabourList on raising the visibility of women in the blogging community.

Video of Derek Draper and Tim Montgomerie discussing women's involvement in online politics.

AGENDA

10:30
Registration opens

11:00
Opening address
Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP
Secretary of State for International Development

11:20
Keynote speech
Joe Rospars
Founding Partner at Blue State Digital, and Barack Obama's New
Media Director

12:00
What will the future of internet campaigning look like?
Professor Andrew Chadwick, Director, New Political Communication Unit, Royal Holloway, University of London
Greg Jackson, Tangent
Ben Brandzel, former Advocacy Director, MoveOn
Luke Pollard, PPC for South West Devon (Chair)

12:45
Lunch

13:30
Mobilising the centre-left blogging community
Adam Bienkov, Tory Troll
Tom Barry, Boris Watch
Alex Smith, writer and political activist (chair)

14:15
Fundraising and voter ID online
Gavin Shuker, Political Insight
Jag Singh, MessageSpace
Stella Creasy, PPC for Walthamstow

15:00
Learning from the private sector
Simon Redfern, Fishburn Hedges
Oliver Rickman, Google
Adrian McMenamin, Linux kernel hacker and former Labour chief press officer (Chair)

15:45
Afternoon break

16:00
Transforming Labour’s campaigns and communications through new media
Nick Anstead, University of East Anglia
Matthew McGregor, UK MD, Blue State Digital
Sue Macmillan, New Media Campaigns Taskforce Leader, The Labour Party
Paul Simpson, Tangent
Howard Dawber, PPC for Bexleyheath & Crayford (Chair)

16:45
Close of conference debate:

Can the centre-left dominate the internet despite being in office?
James Crabtree, Senior Editor, Prospect
Derek Draper, LabourList
Tim Montgomerie, ConservativeHome

17:30
Close