Laura Sharman 07 May 2014

Elections will be 'won or lost' via social media, says youth charity

Party leaders should deliver their top five election promises on twitter in order to secure the youth vote, according to a new study.

The study by youth charity vInspired found that 70% of under 25s said they would be more likely to vote if parties delivered their mainfestos via social media. Nearly two-thirds (64%) also said politics would be 'easier to digest' if delivered on Twitter.

The charity's Swing The Vote campaign is now calling on all parties to deliver their election promises in 140 characters each, saying the 2015 election will be won or lost on social media.

Moira Swinbank, chief executive of vInspired, said: 'The more young people begin to believe in the power of their vote, the more they will be able to in?uence the positions of the major parties and the more they will be able to expect from them.

'Whether it's more meaningful action to tackle climate change or greater university funding that drive young people to the ballot box, the youth vote is crucial and should not be ignored.'

The charity said UK party leaders should follow the 'online style' of Barack Obama who is followed by one in five of the nation's youth. In the UK, David Cameron is followed by 13%, Ed Miliband by 8%, Nick Clegg by 6% and Nigel Farage by 5.4%.

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