Don't Just Sit There, #Massdebate! UK Politicians Caught Out on Twitter

UK politicians often say one thing and mean another - and there's no exception on social media. Promoting the televised leaders' debate, Britain's political parties have turned to Twitter in the vain hope the debate will start trending online.

There are seven of them, so some might suggest, it's a mass debate between the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats, UK Independence Party, Greens, Plaid Cymru and the Scottish National Party.

.@SunPolitics with a handy Lego explainer for tonight's #massdebate > http://t.co/pakqxujCQg pic.twitter.com/Pg3LiFijT0

— Dylan Sharpe (@dylsharpe) April 2, 2015

And while it's being promoted online with the hashtag #leadersdebate, elsewhere, people are being encouraged to keep an eye on the #massdebate.

Now if you say that out loud — you know what is sounds like — and it's a little bit rude.

#Dilemma — To watch 7 people #MassDebate on live TV or not that is the question. @SunNation #generalelection

— Mahesh Khetani (@MAKH83) April 2, 2015

People are seriously using #MassDebate as the hashtag for tonight? And it's Joey Essex that's dumbing down politics, apparently.

— Tom Beasley (@TomJBeasley) April 2, 2015

However, that hasn't stopped anyone from using it. Rightly or wrongly, #massdebate is now trending on Twitter — but not before catching a few people out. Ed Miliband, leader of the Labour Party, has already removed his #massdebate tweet.

Some argue that if politicians embraced the whole #massdebate concept — they might actually appeal to a younger audience and speak to a woefully underrepresented electorate in Britain who aren't bothered about voting.

Get ready for the #massdebate… http://t.co/zzd8izvJNp pic.twitter.com/uErGMlsfV4

— #SunNation (@SunNation) April 2, 2015

Seventy six per cent of people aged 65 and over voted in Britain's last general election compared with 44 percent of young people aged between 18 and 24.

Meanwhile, comedian turned political activist Russell Brand has spoken out about Britain's political system, criticizing politicians for "serving the needs of corporations". Brand also publicly announced that he has "never voted, and never will."

This made me chuckle this morning… #massdebate pic.twitter.com/3PBe07OQNm

— James Mac (@jfmacd) April 2, 2015

John Lydon — more famous as Johnny Rotten, lead singer of the Sex Pistols, said Brand's refusal to vote was:

"The stupidest thing I've ever heard."

Figures form the Electoral Commission reveal that the past four elections in Britain have recorded the lowest ever voter registration rates. Seventy percent of 20 — 24 years olds registered to vote compared with more than 95 percent of those over the retirement age.

And those who are bothering to vote were asked earlier in the year by leader of UKIP, Nigel Farage, to explain on Twitter #WhyImVotingUkip — which people duly did.

#WhyImVotingUkip: because, like the leader @Nigel_Farage, I get a bit racist when I'm tired too.

— Shoaib M Khan (@ShoaibMKhan) May 20, 2014

But it soon turned into a bit of joke. After Nigel Farage's claims that he was "tired out" when he said he wouldn't want to live next door to Romanians — people explained — in a rather ironic way #WhyImVotingUkip.

#WhyImVotingUkip: because no political party is standing up for the white, middle-class, heterosexual male, and that needs to change.

— Dylan H Morris. (@dylanhm) May 20, 2014

Leaving the leaders to thrash out on TV, explaining why people should vote for their party — it appears Britain is poised and ready for a real mass debate.