Who are the most popular Liberal Democrat MPs on Facebook?
Written by Steve Webb MP on 11th August 2007 – 10:55 amFollowing on from my review of the uses MPs are making of Facebook, here’s the top ten listing of Liberal Democrat MPs, based on how many friends they have:
- Ming Campbell
- Steve Webb
- Jo Swinson
- Lembit Opik
- Stephen Williams
- Lynne Featherstone
- Julia Goldsworthy
- Willie Rennie
- Sarah Teather
- Chris Huhne
(Rankings are based on number of friends in their official profiles on Facebook, as at 30 July 2007)
Posted in e-campaigning
11th August 2007 at 12:15 pm
Your Ming Campbell link is pointing to Lembit Öpik instead. I know he’s a joke leader, but he’s not that much of a joke.
11th August 2007 at 12:41 pm
Thanks. I’ve corrected the link.
11th August 2007 at 12:43 pm
Facebook. Facebook facebook facebook facebook facebook.
You’ve presumably seen the demographic studies about usership of the different sites Steve, so worth observing that Adrian’s using MySpace well, and MySpace suits the Torbay demographics better than Fb (unfortunately):
Adrian Sanders MP has 1337 friends.
Which would put him in the top 5 I believe?
(What a wonderfully fortuitous number…)
NB: I much prefer Fb to MySpace, and prefer Livejournal to both, but then I’m distinctly not in the MyS demographic and I distinctly am in the LJ demographic, so that shouldn’t surprise anyone.
11th August 2007 at 2:09 pm
4dr14n 54nd3rZ 15 1337!!!!!ZOMG
11th August 2007 at 9:29 pm
And this is meaningful in what way? (Genuine question btw).
12th August 2007 at 9:28 am
Steve, in your role as propagandist for MC, I fear you are giving too much of your researchers’ time to trivia like Facebook friends. It is a bit like “the boy stood on the burning deck” that while our polls continue to sink slowly you try manfully to convince us of the captain’s popularity. It is the public’s perception of MC that will matter in the next GE campaign. And despite the claims, with which I strongly agree, that we have a very good young Front Bench, it is leader charisma that counts heavily. I remember that our biggest poll jump, from single figures to mid-teens was when we were Paddy’s one-man-band party. Your efforts would be better spent on a make-over in which we get a more relaxed, less senior barrister image. He has compared himself to John McCain the American hopeful, in terms of age; but there is no comparison in terms of modern image.
Elizabeth Patterson
12th August 2007 at 10:38 pm
They don’t give up, do they? I am referring to these malcontents with their crabby, ill-informed attacks on Ming Campbell, who swarm on to this site like flies through the kitchen window.
All they actually achieve is the demoralisation of activists and the amusement of our opponents.
If Elizabeth Patterson cares about this party she should be getting behind Ming Campbell and helping ensure his success as leader.
The jump in opinion-poll ratings to which Elizabeth is alluding I think actually accompanied the Eastbourne and Ribble Valley byelections, whose successful outcomes were masterminded by Chris Rennard, not Paddy Ashdown.
Sorry to change the subject. But I couldn’t keep a straight face watching Redwood tonight saying he would tear up EC Directives imposing red tape on British business. Clearly he is ignorant of the jurisprudence of the European Court of Justice and the UK judiciary’s response to it.
12th August 2007 at 11:56 pm
“the Eastbourne and Ribble Valley byelections, whose successful outcomes were masterminded by Chris Rennard, not Paddy Ashdown.”
IIRC Paddy didn’t even want to contest the Eastbourne by-election
13th August 2007 at 1:27 am
Who was the guy wandering around Soho on Sat night dressed in a banana outfit with a Lib Dem badge on. If it was a stag night 10 out of 10 for party dedication but I hope you don;t wear it at the ceremony!
13th August 2007 at 10:02 am
Seriously, I have to ask - what has this got to do with anything? I am on Facebook and use it to keep in touch with friends and colleagues, but using it just to accumulate a high number of ‘friends’ is surely counterproductive?
And what possible merit does it show for an MP to have aquired more random friendships than anyone else?
I really have to say that the amount of facebook related stories on LDV is becoming an issue of concern. People seem to be devloping an unhealthy obsession.
13th August 2007 at 10:44 am
In the grand scheme of things it means little.
It does annoy me when people moan about semi-serious analysis like this. I mean it’s August, for crying out loud, surely we shouldn’t begrudge blog writers 15 minutes of fun?
26th August 2007 at 5:47 pm
Re 3: Absolutely agree re Adrian Sanders & MySpace - he’s been a real pioneer there.