AS a robust political campaigner, New Forest East MP Julian Lewis is used to having his past thrown back at him by opponents.

So on his website, which he launched this week, he includes references to battles spanning 20 years - from covertly joining the Labour party to fight Militant to tormenting the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.

Reflecting his background as a researcher and historian, it is a voluminous archive that lists methodically his Parliamentary speeches and questions, essays, letters to the press and articles written about him, with search engines for short cuts.

There is minimal use of graphics to save time downloading and a running counter to record how many "hits" the site attracts. He decided against including an e-mail address in case unwanted messages from across the world submerged those of constituents.

Dr Lewis explained: "The whole thing is about accountability to my electorate. I want them to see what their MP is actually saying and doing up in Westminster."

He pledged not to remove material from the site, even if subsequent events make it embarrassing for him.

He said: "People can really see what I have actually said and done, both before and after elections. So if I do change my mind they can see when I did it and why I did it.

"And if people attack me they don't have to go by second hand accounts. They can look at my own words and make up their own minds whether they think I am right or whether my critics are right."

Ironically his interest in the internet was sparked by a legal battle with the defunct satirical magazine Scallywag over information about him posted on the web.

He realised that he could also use its for his own purposes.

His website includes 34 links to other organisations, ranging from Residents' Against Dibden Bay Port to the White House in Washington. This reflects his outlook as "an Atlanticist".

He is a fierce Euro-sceptic so naturally there is no parallel link to the European Commission.

"People can find their own way to that one," Dr Lewis said.

The site is at www.julianlewis.net

Converted for the new archive on 25 January 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.