Introduction

With social media being a crucial part of your role as a politician, the toolkit and accompanying training module are designed to help keep you safe online. Whether you have just been elected or have been a councillor for a number of years, there should be something here for all when it comes to using social media as part of your role.

The toolkit is designed to support all levels of experience, from those who have never used social media before to those who are confident and long-term users.

While there are numerous benefits to using social media, there are potential pitfalls to be aware of, including online abuse which some politicians have faced. Representatives across the political spectrum have experienced homophobic, racist, gender-based or ableist abuse, which can lead people to leave politics or deter them from entering politics in the first place. The potential chilling effect that such behaviour can have on democracy has prompted researchers at the University of Liverpool to conduct a range of studies into this issue which has informed the production of this resource.