No, seriously.
There's a "Friends programme". Basically, you pay any amount of money at all (this is where Radiohead come in, with the whole pay-what-you-feel-like thing, which dear old David doesn't seem to have noticed is very much a subversion of traditional capitalism) and you become a "Friend" of the Conservatives, rather than a member. Because apparently you might want the Conservatives to beat Labour next time round but not want to sign on with the whole swivel-eyed bring-back-hanging Eurosceptic brigade that still makes up the bulk of the rank and file.
Anyway. The social networking overtones just feel really weird. I suppose you could just about claim that it's like being one of those "Friends of [Local Worthy Thing]" organisations, but I doubt it. I think they're rebranding for the Internet.
Oh god.
I just braved going to conservatives.com (don't worry, I am not going to link you). And, er, I was right. They say: "JOIN US as a friend, member or donor ... or show your support on these social networks:" and then the icons of MySpace, bebo, and iVillage. Now, apart from the "thank fuck, LJ's above/beneath/outside their notice" element:
Is anyone on bebo old enough to vote?
I genuinely fear what's going to happen when the generation that have never known a Conservative government starts being allowed to make decisions. Not to say that New Labour haven't been appallingly awful on many levels, but ... well, the Conservatives are really, really bad, OK, kids?
{*} I was only on their site to print off the Sudoku, O KAY? They tricked me into clicking the link with the sheer WTFery of the Cameron-Radiohead combo.
