Despite a difficult weekend in the polls, the UK’s Conservative Party has tried to take a step forward in the ‘digital election’ campaign by launching their iPhone app ahead of that of the Labour Party.
Labour promised its supporters that it would be launching an iPhone app during February, as reported by The Next Web, but we’re in March and it has still to appear in the iPhone app store.
Instead, the Tories got their app into the store on the last day of the month, where it is now available for free download.
The app provides snapshot summaries across all key policy areas, news items and a call-a-friend service similar to that promised by Labour, enabling party activists to contact friends from their iPhone address book and track their voting intentions.
This implementation of Call-A-Friend is an interesting approach, but just be careful if one of your mates calls you and asks which way you’re planning to vote… your details just might be a click away from being uploaded to the Conservative Party’s campaigning database.
The app includes an election swingometer, using the phone’s accelerometer to enable you to tilt left or right for virtual landslide. Also in there is the obligatory Donate button, although PayPal isn’t enabled, just a click-thru phone number straight to Conservative HQ.
The app’s welcome screen include’s links to the party’s social media sites including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, although they have yet to be integrated more tightly into the offering.
Jeremy Hunt, Shadow Culture Secretary and Spokesman for Online Campaigning, said “Whether it is on websites, social networks or mobiles, we are the only Party that has fully embraced new technology in the run up to the General Election”.
All eyes are now on Labour as the wait for their iPhone app goes on. Keep it with The Next Web where we’ll compare the apps side by side.
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