The SNP has re-launched its website in advance of the opening of the party conference and the launch of the party’s 2003 election campaign in Inverness on Wednesday. Commenting on the launch of the website today (Sunday), election co-ordinator Nicola Sturgeon MSP announced that the 2003 elections would be the first in which the internet will be used as an important integrated campaigning tool by the SNP. Ms Sturgeon said,

“Our new website will be a reliable and massive resource of use to SNP activists, journalists and the public alike.

“ The 2003 elections will be the first in which the Internet will be used as an important integrated campaigning tool by the SNP.

“We have hugely increased the amount of policy information available, enabling users to find a depth and breadth of information on the topic of interest to them. There is no other way to easily provide voters with detailed policy positions on such a range of issues and we are linking these to speeches, press releases, questions and related policy areas, so the reader will always be able to find out more.

“The new site also encourages much greater interaction with the reader and we are actively seeking comments and opinions.

“We have done this in not just one, but three areas of the new site to make it easy for people to give us their views. We are keen to listen to the public’s views and comments on the SNP, our vision, our aims, and our policies which will help us in our policy development.

“The re-launch of www.snp.org is part of our campaign to engage with voters and promote our cause, and counter the myths about Independence.”

The main features of the new website are:
- It is news driven with current news releases and stories being on the front page, with a powerful search engine of the news archive.
- A rotating ‘did you know’ section on the front page and a ‘My Area’ map where you can find out who in the SNP represents you at local government, Scottish, Westminster, and European parliament level via a user-friendly clickable map of Scotland.
- Sections about current campaigns and policy information as well as a history of the SNP and a personal statement from John Swinney.
- A secure area where you can join or donate to the Party online.