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07
Sept 2022
Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones joins Instagram
Constituents can now find out what Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones has been up to through his new Instagram account.
Many politicians use the photo friendly Instagram network to show a gentler side, away from the often brutal battlegrounds of Twitter and Facebook.
In 2018, Conservative MPs were even given training to improve their Instagram skills with polling suggesting the platform could help show they are “real people”.
New Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has 92,000 followers, has used Instagram to cultivate her image. She's posed with cats, showed off her baking skills and met celebrities like Taylor Swift.
Time will tell if Mr Jones decides to show us what he's had for breakfast. He's so far posted a video of him meeting constituents at Knaresborough Market and a photo from outside the House of Commons.
So far, his account has 12 followers and it follows the accounts of Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak, the Conservative Party and 10 Downing Street.
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Mr Jones would probably admit that other politicians are more natural performers on social media.
After the murder of David Amess MP last year, he spoke out about the "personal and toxic narrative" against MPs online. A search of his Twitter mentions reveals almost daily insults.
A couple of years ago, he set his Twitter account to retweets only and stopped directly engaging with people through the platform.
However, with a general election possibly just 18 months away, his renewed presence on social media could signal an attempt to connect to younger voters in Harrogate and Knaresborough.
But although Mr Jones has opened up new lines of communication, others appear to remain shut. The Stray Ferret asked Mr Jones why he set up the account but, as usual, we did not receive a response.
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