MPs should use social media such as Twitter to break down the
poor image they have of being divorced from the real world, a report
said yesterday.
The think-tank Parliament Street believes the huge success of
some politicians shows there is a large number of people ready to
listen to them - as long as they are accessible and interesting.
Clwyd West MP and Welsh Secretary David Jones leads the way in
North Wales, with wide-ranging tweets adding up to more than the
rest of the region's MPs put together (see panel).
The study says: "Social media is a powerful tool, but too many
MPs are failing to engage with it in an effective or sensible
manner.
Learning from those who use it well, engaging with people,
retweeting and seeming to be 'normal' could go a long way to
reversing the damage the appearance of being distant Here's MPs
number 1: 2: 3: Ian and alien is doing to our democracy."
"The authors suggest MPs need to spend time on social media
sites, learning the 'tricks of the trade' and studying those who are
most successful.4: 5: 6: 7: No Albert Susan "Twitter shouldn't be
seen as something just to 'do' but a vital component of engaging
with the people. If MPs heed this lesson and start to ask questions
about how they can use Twitter more effectively we should see more
people engaging with politicians.
"That can only be a good thing for our democracy."
The research found the average number of followers for MPs was
just under 4,000, although for the top 10 it was close to 23,000.
Labour leader Ed Miliband has over 171,000 followers, Prime
Minister David Cameron some 142,000 and Deputy PM Nick Clegg 94,346,
Labour vice-chairman Tom Watson has more than 100,000, despite not
holding a major office of state, and the report recommends MPs learn
from the avid tweeter.
Some leading politicians, such as former Olympics Minister Tessa
Jowell, tweet 40 times a day on average. "But other MPs are less
enthusiastic, with many not even bothering to post a profile photo,
highlighting a distinct lack of interest to interact with the
public."
Steven Hilley of Parliament Street said: "Breaking down barriers
between the Westminster bubble and the electorate should be a top
priority for all MPs and improving their social media skills is a
key step."
TWITTER TOPS Here's how our North Wales MPs stack up on Twitter,
with number of tweets/followers: 1: David Jones 11,877/5,052 2:
David Hanson 3873/5681 3: Ian Lucas 2910/1,788 4: Hywel Williams
1,481/1,762 5: Glyn Davies 1,473/1,479 6: Guto Bebb 196/307 7: Chris
Ruane 81/387 No tweets found: Albert Owen, Elfyn Llwyd, Susan Jones,
Mark Tami.
