The internet was creatinga decisive shift in the balance of power, a "Google-isation" of democracy that most politicians had yet to wake up to, George Osborne argued this week. The shadow chancellor said the "people . . . are the masters now". "And don't you forget it boy," retorted Guido Fawkes, the libertarian blogger.

This irreverent tone typifies much of the expanding political "blogosphere", where increasingly influential websites - particularly on the right - are injecting a potent mix of gossip and grassroots comment into the Westminster debate.