Lib Dem Councillors lead the way on Facebook!

8.37.23pm GMT Tue 20th Jan 2009

Two Councillors in the Heywood and Middleton Constituency have embraced popular social networking site 'Facebook' to enable them to keep in touch with local residents and help them out with any issues they have. Heywood North Councillor, Peter Rush and Norden Councillor and Parliamentary Candidate, Wera Hobhouse joined up last year and have seen their 'friends lists' rocket, with nearly 600 'friends' between them.

Councillor Peter Rush, who is now linked up with well over 300 Heywood Residents on the site, said, "I believe that elected representatives should be easy to reach which is why I decided to join up to Facebook. The impact that social networking sites can have in engaging the public into politics is immense. You only have to look at the campaign ran by President-Elect Barack Obama last year to realise the positive power of sites such as Facebook can have on a wider audience.

Councillor Rush, whose list of friends include Heywood's Olympic hero Keri-Anne Payne, local band The Sticks, Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg MP and regular visitor to Heywood and good friend, Simon Hughes MP, also stated that he found Facebook a great way of engaging the younger voter into politics.

Councillor Rush said: "Unfortunately, the younger people of Heywood are far less likely to vote when compared to their parents or grandparents, yet many hold very strong views on local and national issues and want their voice heard. So far, Facebook has become a really useful way of enabling them to raise issues with me - local transport being the number one issue recently - and most of them are really positive about me being on there."

Councillor Wera Hobhouse added: " I really believe all politicians should be using every possible avenue to stay connected to the people we serve. I would urge all local residents to add myself and Councillor Rush as friends and get in touch and tell us about your local issues."

To add Councillor Rush on facebook, you can click on the following link:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1448977946&ref=ts

And to add Councillor Wera Hobhouse, you can find her here:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1611334466&ref=ts