Jeremy Corbyn plans to make Labour’s next general election campaign a digital affair, modelled in part on the social media techniques used by Bernie Sanders during his run for the Democratic nomination in the US.
The promise is part of a wider announcement of the Labour leader’s digital policies, including a commitment to universal high-speed broadband and mobile connectivity across the UK, and to new online learning resources.
Corbyn is expected to say in a speech in east London on Tuesday morning that his efforts to see off Owen Smith, the leadership challenger, were “leading the way in harnessing the advances of new technology to organise political campaigning like we’ve never seen before”.
Corbyn supporters say his regular presence on social media, along with the use of other technological innovations, helps him bypass a suspicious mainstream news media and could see a general election message delivered more effectively than polls suggest.
His initial election as Labour leader was credited in part to his team’s bespoke phone canvassing app, which helped volunteers contact potential voters. In his speech on Tuesday, Corbyn is expected to liken such innovations to tactics used by Sanders, the Vermont senator who ran Hillary Clinton surprisingly close for the Democrat presidential nomination.
On a more general policy level, Corbyn is promising a nationwide broadband and mobile network, and an online learning hub linked to another of his proposed ideas, a national education service.
Other proposals include: publicly funded software and hardware to help teach programming; a voluntary “digital citizen passport” to create a secure portable identity; and more use of technology to debate and devise legislation.
“My leadership campaign is leading the way in harnessing the advances of new technology to organise political campaigning like we’ve never seen before,” Corbyn is to say in his speech.
“The creativity of the networked young generation is phenomenal. We have thousands of young volunteers on our campaign taking part in this digital revolution. We will channel this new energy and creativity into Labour’s general election campaign whenever it comes, it’s in this way that Labour can get back into government.
“There is also a clear need for more online democracy and our manifesto today sets out how Labour would democratise the internet in order to rebuild and transform Britain, so that no one and no community is left behind.”
Corbyn’s campaign says investment in areas such as universal fast broadband is justified by the subsequent boost to business, pointing to a rapid growth in the digital economy in Cornwall following a project to provide fibre broadband to businesses there.
With leadership ballot papers due to be sent out in the next few days before voting, which closes on 21 September, both Corbyn and Smith have been busy touring the country and announcing policy initiatives.
Corbyn has made announcements on the arts, education and transport. Smith has given pledges on policies for young people, Brexit and the NHS. The victor – Corbyn remains the bookmakers’ favourite – will be announced at the Labour annual conference on 24 September.
