Proposer: Rafan Beg Seconder: George Galloway
It’s a well-known fact that most of the political establishment still doesn’t understand social media. While they blame algorithms, “fake news,” and “foreign interference,” the reality is simpler—social media is a powerful tool that drives political change. We’ve seen this clearly in recent history: Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential election was propelled by his masterful use of Twitter, while elections across Europe were often dismissed as “Russian-influenced,” when in truth, they reflected genuine local support voiced on social media. Whether the establishment likes it or not, platforms like X (formerly Twitter) shape public opinion, mobilize voters, and set the political agenda.
The Workers Party of Britain has already made impressive strides in the digital sphere, with a strong presence across platforms and a dedicated social media team that has done an outstanding job managing our content and growing our audience. Their tireless efforts have brought us to this point and must be commended. However, the evolving challenges of social media demand that we continually adapt and improve our strategies to stay ahead.
Despite our successes, our presence on X is hindered by the lack of verification, which limits our visibility and credibility. To fully leverage this platform, it is proposed that the Workers Party of Britain apply for the grey checkmark verification for our official X account, as well as for prominent figures within the party, such as George Galloway, Chris Williamson, and other leading voices. The grey checkmark, designated for governmental bodies, multilateral organizations, and institutions of public significance, will position us as a serious and credible political entity on the platform.
Achieving grey checkmark verification will bring several strategic benefits:
Enhanced visibility: Verified accounts are prioritized in feeds, enabling our messages to reach broader and more diverse audiences.
Increased credibility: The grey checkmark signals legitimacy to followers, media, and political opponents, reinforcing our status as an established political force.
Bypassing algorithmic suppression: Verified accounts face fewer restrictions, ensuring our content can be seen by those who need to hear it most.
Greater engagement: Verified accounts typically experience higher interaction rates, amplifying the impact of our messaging.
To ensure the potential of this verification is fully realized, it is also proposed that we establish a team specifically dedicated to X.
This team will focus on:
Timely approval and posting of content, ensuring we respond quickly and effectively to political events and discussions.
Optimizing engagement strategies to foster meaningful interactions and drive growth in our reach.
Leveraging verification to maximize the visibility and impact of our messages.
This proposal is not a criticism of our current social media efforts, but rather a call to build on their success. Our social media team has done an incredible job navigating the challenges of online platforms, and this motion aims to provide them with the tools and structure necessary to take our X strategy to the next level.
The grey checkmark verification is more than a badge—it’s a long-term investment in the Workers Party of Britain’s growth and influence. By establishing a stronger presence on X, we can reach more supporters, amplify our message, and solidify our position as a leading force in British politics.
I am on both X and Bluesky, as well as Facebook. Not much political on Facebook, in my experience. Bluesky has more people with similar ideas, but X is very informative and has far more interesting stuff.
It is an excellent idea to get us a better presence there.
Interesting motion this.
Whilst I personally am not fully convinced of the direct impact that ‘X’ specifically has on the outcome of elections (because I cynically suspect that if that were the case then ‘they’ would simply block access, and I also doubt that ‘Twitter’ had any impact at all on the EU Referendum result which was just about the largest example of democratic engagement that I have witnessed in my lifetime), I guess that’s a different debate for another time.
Reading this motion in full, it becomes clear that the main purpose of it is for the Workers Party to:
a. Obtain the grey check mark on X (presumably the main account); and
b. Create a formal team, specifically dedicated to our ‘X’ platform.
As such, I AGREE with this motion.
Moving forward, the details of how this is extended to / affects our local Branches use of ‘X’ will need to be ironed out.
I concur that new media serves as a primary point of engagement for numerous new potential supporters and members. My understanding is that the grey checkmark on X is exclusively reserved for governmental or multilateral organizations. A more attainable objective would be to implement a gold checkmark for verified organisations.
This strikes me as sensible on the basis that it may not win elections but it does help to build credibility and membership. The very high quality of the work of our social media team may not be getting the traction it deserves under current conditions. However, the team is in place and is the responsibility of the political leadership team so that particular aspect of the case (rather than professionalising use of X) may be redundant.
Fully support