US President Barack Obama's use of the Web on his way to the White House in 2008 has inspired British political parties to ramp up their digital campaigns for a general election expected in May.
An unprecedented wave of initiatives - from a new breed of digital campaigner to an army of online supporters, critics and satirists - is prompting many observers to say this will be Britain's first 'Internet election'.
"Twitter doesn't win elections, people win elections," says Matthew McGregor, of Blue State Digital Media, the firm that provided the technical backbone for Obama's digital campaign. "But social media is a way of organizing people and I don't buy the argument that what worked for Obama won't work in Britain."
Officials at the main parties say a British election is very different to a US presidential race. There's less freedom in fundraising, less money, and a shorter campaign, so the scale of their operations is far smaller.