An online friend said to me the other day that Facebook should focus on what you talk about with your mates down at the pub, not on politics. Sad as it may sound, politics is what I talk about with my mates.

Being in the public eye, everything we politicians do is open to scrutiny and judgement. That's fair - to an extent - but it also explains why so many MPs are trying to foster a positive image not only in the papers and on TV but through the new electronic media.

Social networking can be fun. I wanted a pub lunch in Glossop and within an hour I had four Facebook friends' recommendations to choose from. Facebook today reveals me cavorting with my family in the treetops of Buxton's Go Ape this weekend. And my video of Glossop's winning penalty in their recent FA Vase semi-final attracted comment within minutes of being posted on You Tube.

This all started with My Space and Friends Reunited, which has put me in touch with several ex-schoolfriends over the years.

Facebook in particular lends itself to political campaigning. By recruiting supporters to causes, encouraging debate and inviting folk to events a political cause can be promoted and pursued. Our local press and (I am sure!) my political opponents watch my every e-move waiting for a slip. Their web sites can make interesting reading, too - occasionally. However, using the e-media to invent stories and smears to discredit opponents is not what it is supposed to be about.

The spoken and printed word will continue to be the main paths along which politics is pursued. But as we go beyond the era of 24-hour news, with no holds barred in the media coverage of politicians' lives, e-campaigning is in its infancy.

Join me on Facebook if you want to keep in touch me and find out more about my work for High Peak.