Hain Finds More ‘Friends’ in Labour Deputy Leadership Contest
By Tomos Livingstone
With less than a week to go in Labour’s deputy leadership election, Welsh Secretary Peter Hain has a narrow lead – on Facebook. Mr Hain has 815 “friends” on the social networking internet site, designed for teenagers but increasingly used by politicians hoping to connect with younger voters.
In a display of comradeship, one of Mr Hain’s “friends” is his rival candidate Hazel Blears, who boasts 624 online pals of her own.
Once registered, users of the site can offer to be “friends” of other users, who then accept or decline the overtures. Users can then swap information, pictures or messages with their semi- private online community.
A third Labour deputy leadership candidate, Hilary Benn, has 792 friends, but the other three contenders, Harriet Harman, Jon Cruddas and Alan Johnson, have been less enthusiastic about joining the phenomenon.
Nevertheless, all three have “campaign” groups of supporters who use the site to communicate.
The practice of politicians using sites like Facebook is much more deeply entrenched in America, where Presidential candidates have lists of friends running into tens of thousands.
Democratic hopeful John Edwards is listed among Mr Hain’s friends.
The Neath MP has been dismissive of critics who see the phenomenon as a gimmick, writing on his website, “We as candidates have to respond to new ways of doing politics, and if people want to use the internet to engage with us as candidates, then we need to take account of that.”
The site allows users to alert each other that they are online, a process known as “poking”. Some form groups based around their fondness for poking the same person – the Let’s All Poke Peter Hain group has 61 members.
The complex voting system and the large number of candidates have made the contests to succeed John Prescott difficult to predict.
MPs, trade unionists and party members have a third of the votes each, with voters able to express further preferences.
Mr Hain has strong backing in the trade unions, but his pitch to the party’s left-wing has been hit by the strong showing for Mr Cruddas. Mr Benn and Mr Johnson are the betting favourites.: Peter Hain accuses bookmakers of distorting deputy leadership campaign:Peter Hain held a campaign rally in Caerphilly last night, accusing bookmakers of distorting the campaign by suggesting he was out of the running. He said, Some people are behaving as though the contest is over already. It isnt. The outcome of this election will be decided by Labour Party members and trade unionists, not bookies and pundits. This election is really energising our grassroots, and it is already clear that party members want a deputy leader who will speak up for them on policy and be a strong voice for progressive values within Cabinet.
Mr Hain said over-reliance on bookies odds has distorted coverage of the campaign and has obscured the debate that is actually taking place among partys grassroots. One bookie is offering odds of 50-1 on a Hain win.: Facebook facts:A group objecting to MPs using Facebook to appear trendy has just four members. A Facebook group dedicated to real life superhero Lembit Opik has 157 members. PuttingRhodri Morgan into Facebooks search facility brings up a campaign group bidding to make Total Eclipse of the Heart the new Welsh National Anthem. The group has 49 members and describes Hen Wlad fy Nhadau as OK but not in the same league as the Bonnie Tyler classic. Peter Hains online friends include former Tory AM Glyn Davies and Lib-Dem AM Jenny Randerson.
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