Biz Stone - "politicians using social media is a good thing"

Raleigh Addington
Raleigh Addington
editor at Chartwell Speakers

When Twitter was in its infancy, the website’s user base was generally composed of young socialites reporting on the minutiae of their day and apprehensive FMCG businesses trying to flog their wares. However, with recent news that over half of the House of Commons – 331 MPs – use Twitter, it appears that the social media platform is now an absolutely vital – and fully entrenched – component of a politician’s communicatory arsenal. And indeed, this phenomena stretches far further than Britain’s shores – many of the world’s leaders are active users of the social media platform. 

Biz Stone, Twitter’s creative director, believes this is a massively positive move – “on Twitter, your views have the potential to reach a world leader directly. The best ones go viral. At a time when popular opinion asserts that politicians are disconnected from the people who elect them, this is great news”.  “Twitter has no pre-ordained purpose – it’s very much what you make of it,” Biz continues. “123 different governments the world over have seized Twitter as an opportunity to connect directly with the public – and long may it continue.”


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