How would you feel if your MP gave you a poke or a tweet?
Instant one-to-one communication in an always-on environment – it’s just one of the challenges currently facing politicians seeking to engage with an increasingly disaffected electorate. So could social media provide the answer?
One of Manchester’s prospective parliamentary candidates thinks that it’s worthy of further investigation so I went to find out why.
Lucy Powell explained that, because parts of her Withington constituency is quite young and transient in nature due to the high student population, old style door knocking was not always the best way to hold a conversation.
She said: “People tend to move addresses quite a lot and not everyone has a landline phone these days.
“I’m not saying this (social media) is a silver bullet and something that should stop us doing our normal work in the community but for me, I genuinely worry how disaffected people are with politicians and disconnected with MPs in Westminster – my friends and other people I know are”.
So in a bid to address this, Lucy is busy participating on online networks – identifying the issues of concern to residents in her neighbourhood, taking on campaigns and making herself available in social networks.
A politician 2.0 perhaps?
So far the activity has been mainly concentrated on blogging and using Facebook – a platform which she says enabled her to help resolve an immigration dispute from a constituent by circumnavigating the usual channels for a quicker-than-the-usual response from immigration minister Phil Woolas (also on Facebook).
And now Lucy is looking to push the boundaries of social media further and is hoping to start a debate on the whole issue both online and potentially, offline, at a future Social Media Café event.
So that debate starts here? What do you think about the issue of politicians using social media platforms? Sensible use of the technology everyone’s using? Not for everyone? An exclusive gimmick or a genuine democracy? How would you like to deal with your local MP?
Feel free to take part on the poll below, submit a comment or contact Lucy direct by one of the means below.
– lucy.powell@gmail.com
– http://www.facebook.com/home.php?
– http://www.lucypowell.net/lucys_blog
How would you prefer to contact your local MP?
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Dim Sum Digital 
Sarah,
I think people are disillusioned and unengaged because they feel politicians have lied to them or been negligent – the current credit crunch being one example.
But it goes further with all three main parties offering a similar and sometimes near identical offering.
Can social media really overcome core issues such as these?
I would find communication quite irrelevant and in some cases intrusive. Put it through the door as usual
Rob
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Rob – I agree with you and its something always on my mind. The way I approach this is if somebody came onto this blog and raised an issue I could help with, then I would. That’s what I’m here for and its right people like me should make themselves useful where the new communities are gathering. However I wouldn’t just appear on a blog or forum and start saying ‘vote for me!’ I’d always adjust my approach based on whatever social situation I was in in a face-to-face.
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