Quick, send the PM a DM! Prime Minister David Cameron has joined Twitter, becoming the first PM to do so.
You can find him over at @david_cameron. DC registered the account on Saturday and already has more than 71,000 followers.
His first tweet read: "I'm starting Conference with this new Twitter feed about my role as Conservative Leader. I promise there won't be 'too many tweets…'"
That 'too many tweets…' part is a reference to an interview he gave to the Christian O'Connell breakfast show back in 2009, in which he said: "The trouble with Twitter, the instant-ness of it… I think that too many twits might make a tw*t."
So what's he posted so far? Well no pics of his dinner, and he hasn't Instagrammed him and BoJo hanging out in hipster bars (not yet, anyway). His second tweet was about meeting the nursing team at the John Radcliffe Hospital, complete with a picture. His third showed him backstage at the Andrew Marr show ahead of this morning's appearance.
In his profile, it says his account will be run by him and the @conservatives team. So don't expect anything too personal.
At time of writing, he was following eight others. These were: Grant Shapps, David Jones, Maria Miller, Eric Pickles, Boris Johnson, William Hague, Jeremy Hunt, and the Conservative Party. No Nick Clegg, Dave? Or how about CNET UK, for all your gadget needs? Come on, you're supposed to have your own iPad app, after all.
Previously, Cameron tweeted from the @Number10gov account.
Cameron is also on LinkedIn, Foursquare, Facebook, and Flickr. He shouldn't be a stranger to tech, considering how many times he's met with Google.
Will you be following David Cameron? Or is this just a PR stunt, with the account run by lackeys? Let me know what you reckon in the comments below, or on our Facebook page.
Update: As a commenter below points out, other Prime Ministers are available. The PM of Canada, Stephen Harper, and the PM of Australia, Julia Gillard, are both on Twitter, for example.
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Comments 8
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anonymous 7 October, 2012 16:40
I think they mean PM of the UK ya nugget
ElDiabloJuanCarl 7 October, 2012 17:12
Ah, Tweets by committee and twice filtered through a PR team brought to you by the man who did not know what LOL stood for (ironic as most people don't know what he stands for).
On the plus side, it's great material for an episode of The Thick of It (or should I say, The Thick of IT :-P )
CaptainPicard 7 October, 2012 19:40
I actually thought the account was a fake when I found him yesterday, and mocked him several times in 140 characters! Now I'm gonna mock him more, I got a feeling he ain't gonna be popular on Twitter.
anonymous 8 October, 2012 05:05
Jolly Good<br />
<br />
Now I can hear about tax breaks for corporations and the super rich, military intervention(legal or illegal) in oil producing countries but not for those economically deprived Syrians and of course the latest disgusting treatment for people unfortunate enough to have disabilities. All in 140 characters. <br />
<br />
Ah well. At least I can call him a ****<br />
<br />
Bravo Dave
anonymous 8 October, 2012 10:24
The guy is a career PR man, I think the real question should be - what took him so long?
Nick Hide 8 October, 2012 11:00
@anonymous 1 - thanks for pointing out our Anglo-centricity. We've added other PMs on Twitter in an update to the story.
anonymous 8 October, 2012 12:16
PM David Cameron could be the first British PM to join tweeter but he ain't the first one in the world. For example the late H.E. PM Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia was on Tweeter long before the English PM. H.E. PM Meles Zenawi joined Tweeter in the year 2009, you can find him under @MelesZenawi.
anonymous 8 October, 2012 16:42
Although my comment at 5.05 did not contain profanity, only perceived profanity which is entirely in the eye of the beholder, if you must to edit it, please do so competently.
Many Thanks