INSPIRED by the way US President Barack Obama used the internet to encourage popular participation in politics, West Midlands Labour MEP Neena Gill has, at the official opening of the Labour Party's European Elections campaign, launched a website which could change the face of online politics in Britain.

One of the first dedicated individual campaign websites by any MEP, Neena's site encourages constituents and supporters to get involved in the run-up to the European Parliament elections on June 4.

Neena said: "I am delighted to be launching my new campaign website at the start of this election year.

"It's a vital tool that I can use to keep in touch with people who are interested in my campaign and keep constituents informed about what I'm up to in the UK and the European Parliament."

Neena sees interactivity as vital to the reinvigoration of politics in Britain.

"The American elections have shown that giving people a say in political campaigns increases their interest in politics in general," she said.

"I hope visitors will come to my website full of ideas as to how we can improve the campaign, the work MEPs do and their thoughts on how the European Union can work better."

The website is organised according to theme, designed to give constituents a clearer understanding of what the European Parliament does on consumers' rights, opportunities for business, working conditions, animal rights and in other areas of policy.

It includes links to Neena's new media sites on facebook, youtube, twitter and myspace, so that supporters can keep in touch with what Neena is up to through their favourite application.

And there is a section where people can sign up to donate to the campaign or volunteer their time.

"The website includes a useful calendar section, where you can keep track of where I am and what I'm doing", Neena said.

She also intends the new site to form part of her ongoing campaign to kick the British National Party out of the West Midlands.

Videos Neena has already made against the BNP are now up on the site and she is planning to upload many more in the future.

"Because this website is wholly interactive, it has endless possibilities for campaigning. Only by properly engaging the public with every aspect of the work that politicians do will we be able to increase public interest in UK politics once more," she said.

Neena's campaign website is at www.neenagill.eu