David Cameron is joining Twitter

By Peter Hoskin
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Benedict Brogan's column this morning — about how George Osborne is gearing up for further spending cuts, and how David Cameron might be opposed — is noteworthy in its entirety. But let's just focus on the revelation contained within its opening paragraph, for now. The Prime Minister is, apparently, about to join Twitter:

"There was a time when David Cameron thought Twitter was for t—s, but that was before the social media network became a turbo-charged means of shaping public and media opinion. Now it turns out that Twitter is for him, and Downing Street will shortly be introducing @DavidCameronLeader, or something similar, which will bring us the daily thoughts of the Prime Minister. The official No 10 account, which pumps out Government news and details of what Mr Cameron is up to, has more than two million subscribers, but cannot be used to make political points. The PM’s advisers, who are frustrated by hostility in the media and indifference among broadcasters, say Twitter will allow him to reach voters directly with his version of the Government’s successes and failures."

In which case, it's worth recalling Tim's advice to Mr Cameron — from before the election — that Twitter would be "a great medium for communicating in a warm, direct way". You can even watch video of their exchange on the subject, during a press conference, here. Seems that the PM has come around to the idea since then.