The Shocking Truth About Fake Followers on UK Politicians’ Twitter Accounts: An Unfair Advantage

The Shocking Truth About Fake Followers on UK Politicians’ Twitter Accounts: An Unfair Advantage

Twitter has become one of the primary platforms for politicians to connect with their constituents and promote their political views. However, not all the followers on politicians’ Twitter accounts are genuine. In recent years, the issue of fake followers has become increasingly prevalent on social media platforms, and this is no different for UK politicians. In this blog post, we explore the prevalence of fake followers on the Twitter accounts of the Labour Shadow Cabinet and the Conservative Cabinet.

In the world of UK politics, social media has become a battleground for politicians seeking to gain an edge over their opponents. With Twitter being one of the most popular platforms, it is no surprise that politicians use it to showcase their work, engage with the public and build their personal brands. However, with the rise of fake followers, the playing field is no longer level, and the disparity between the Labour Party and the Conservative Party is a stark reminder of this.

CasinoGuardian conducted a study examining the Twitter accounts of all Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet members who had one. The data were gathered by analysing the followers of 59 UK politicians’ Twitter accounts in the Labour and Conservative Cabinets, and by identifying the percentage of fake followers for each account. We looked at some of the UK’s most prominent political figures, including the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, and Labour leader, Keir Starmer.

The results are a cause for concern. From the pool of Twitter accounts we analysed, the study found that the average percentage of fake followers on UK politicians’ Twitter accounts is 9.76%. This means that nearly one in ten followers on these accounts are fake, artificially boosting their reach and influence.

Conservative Cabinet
The Conservative Cabinet is composed of members of the ruling Conservative Party who hold various portfolios in the UK government. We analysed the Twitter accounts of 20 members of the Conservative Cabinet and found that the average percentage of fake followers is 10.16%. Some of the politicians with the highest percentages of fake followers include Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab (@DominicRaab) with 17.50% and Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Michael Gove (@michaelgove) with 15.56%.

Labour Shadow Cabinet
The Labour Shadow Cabinet consists of prominent members of the Labour Party who serve as the main opposition to the ruling Conservative Party. We analysed the Twitter accounts of 29 members of the Shadow Cabinet and found that the average percentage of fake followers is 9.37%. Some of the politicians with the highest percentages of fake followers include Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper (@yvettecoopermp) with 14.40% and Shadow Secretary of State for Climate Change and Net Zero Ed Miliband (@ed_miliband) with 13.64%. Conversely, Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury Pat McFadden (@patmcfaddenmp) has the lowest percentage of fake followers, at just 1.46%.

Whilst it might be tempting to assume that a higher number of followers or likes correlates with a higher number of fake followers, this is generally not true. At the upper end, that may appear to be the case, but the data as a whole show no direct correlation between the number of followers and the proportion of fake followers. Although some politicians have a higher percentage of fake followers than others, the disparity between the Labour Party and the Conservative Party is minimal. On average, politicians from the Conservative Party have only 0.55% more fake followers than those from the Labour Party.

This difference in authentic engagement on UK politicians’ Twitter accounts highlights the need for greater transparency and accountability. The impact of fake followers on UK politics is substantial, undermining the credibility of politicians and their reach. It creates an unequal playing field for political representation, as politicians with a higher percentage of fake followers are perceived as having more influence and reach, even though this is not based on genuine engagement.

The issue of fake followers must be addressed by politicians and political parties to maintain the public’s trust in the political process and ensure authentic political representation. The rise of fake followers on UK politicians’ Twitter accounts is a concerning trend that undermines credibility. It underscores the need for greater transparency and accountability in social media engagement to ensure that politicians communicate with the public in an authentic and genuine manner.

It is evident that the issue of fake followers is prevalent on the Twitter accounts of UK politicians. From our analysis, it is clear that both the Labour Shadow Cabinet and the Conservative Cabinet have a concerning average percentage of fake followers. It is imperative for politicians to be transparent about the sources of their followers, as fake followers can be used to manipulate public opinion and distort political discourse. The issue of fake followers is not limited to the UK and is a problem faced by politicians globally. Therefore, social media platforms must take steps to tackle this problem, and politicians must be more vigilant in ensuring that their followers are genuine.