Vote swapping sites claim Tory scalps

Online tactical voting sites are claiming a key part in the unseating of several Tory MPs.

Tactical voting sites received significant traffic before the campaign. The largest such website, Tacticalvoter.net, received 200,000 hits according to a spokesman.

Two Dorset constituencies were among the sites most heavily targetted by the online tactical voting community.

Internet campaigners urged Lib Dem voters in Labour marginal Dorset South to swap with Labour in West Dorset, where the nearest challenger was the Lib Dem candidate.

The website enabled voters to find partners in the neighbouring constituency to swap with on a one-to-one basis. Tacticalvoter.net received a total of 8,153 pledges.

In Dorset South, the Tories' most vulnerable seat, MP Ian Bruce was defending a majority of just 77.

The highly technology-aware MP, regularly quoted on silicon.com, was defeated by Labour's Jim Knight, with a majority of just 153.

It's difficult to judge how large a part the internet played in this. Tactical voting clearly had an impact, and possibly a decisive one. But the tactical voting activists used a variety of techniques including traditional media and volunteer activists working on the ground.

The Dorset campaign achieved a particularly high profile because of the involvement of left wing singer Billy Bragg. Bragg's votedorset.net site received 20,000 hits, but cannot measure pledges for vote swapping.

Oliver Letwin, the Conservative MP in the neighbouring West Dorset constituency, held onto his seat largely because the UK Independence Party decided not to stand, fearing their candidate might take votes away from Letwin and let the Liberal Democrats in by the back door.

The organisers of www.stophague.com also claimed a success in South London. They urged Lib Dem voters of Wimbledon to swap with Labour Party supporters in nearby Kingston and Surbiton where Lib Dem Edward Davey boosted his majority from 56 to 15,676.

Wimbledon was held by Labour.