‘Honest hooks, not silly stunts’

Scrolling through social media to see what Labour candidates are getting up to is an unavoidable part of the job for any journalist covering the party, as we prepare for elections across the UK this May.

While abhorrent comment sections may be plagued with misinformation and personal feeds become increasingly clogged with what is being termed ‘AI slop’, it is undeniable that social media has become a necessity for politicians looking to place their messaging directly in front of the electorate. This is now true to the extent the Prime Minister has held ‘influencer’ press conferences in his own efforts to improve Number 10’s comms game.

READ MORE: ‘Wales is at the start of a new chapter, but it could all be at risk’

While scrolling one afternoon I came across a video of a Scottish Labour candidate. They were in a local takeaway, discussing the vast range of choices one might consider while ordering on a late night outing. This is a classic problem I can admit I’ve struggled to solve myself – especially on the way back from the occasional weekend trip to the local pub.

“Sometimes when there’s so much choice you can’t decide you just have to order a munchie box with onion rings, pakora, doner meat, chips and naan bread” he tells the camera, walking out of the local takeaway. Then comes the important point.

“But in this election, there’s a straight choice between Scottish Labour and the SNP. Only Scottish Labour can get the SNP government out and in Paisley only I can beat the SNP.”

‘Back Bibby to beat the SNP’ is then flashed onto the screen. The video is shorter than 30 seconds. The hook is effective, the message is clear, the algorithm likes it. Impressive.

Scottish Labour’s candidate for Paisley in May, and the man behind this successfully constructed political video, is West Scotland Region MSP, Neil Bibby. While reporting from Scotland last week, LabourList met with Neil for an exclusive interview.

As you scroll through the MSP’s social media account you will find this video style is one of many.

Bingo with Wes Streeting: filmed at the local Mecca and detailing “five numbers to remember”, all of which take aim at the SNP’s record and promote Labour’s chances. Football content outlining that four teams could be in with a chance to win the Scottish league, but only two parties have a chance to win the election in May. A Valentine’s Day ‘roses are red’ poem calling for the audience to provide suggestions on how to improve Paisley.

Bibby’s strategy is targeted and authentic. Focussing on relatability to provide the message he wishes to share helps to maintain the engagement social media rewards.

He is not the only Labour politician from Scotland to find success through short form video, with Labour MP for Glasgow South Gordon McKee also having built a reputation of producing effective content across social platforms. Both McKee and Bibby are creating algorithm-friendly communications that many Labour MPs could learn from. You leave their posts feeling informed without being overwhelmed, understanding clearly the points they are seeking to convey.

Become a friend of LabourList and join our community. Our friends support our vital non-factional work and get access to exclusive content and events. 

This approach to video content demonstrates not just an understanding of social media as a tool, but an understanding of people. These are not polished party political broadcasts repackaged for TikTok or Instagram ‘Reels’. Through building around relatable everyday experiences, the politics is not forced upon the viewer but follows naturally from the hook.

Too often, attempts at “doing social media” in politics fall into one of two traps: either overly scripted content that feels inauthentic, or hollow stunts that generate attention without delivering a message. Neither builds trust or leaves the viewer any clearer on what a candidate actually stands for.

The lesson here for the wider Labour Party is not that every candidate needs to film themselves in a takeaway or on a football pitch. It is that effective video communication must be authentic to you. Honesty is the most important characteristic for our politicians to lead with when presenting themselves, especially in a time of such low public trust in the political system.

Subscribe here to our daily newsletter roundup of Labour news, analysis and comment– and follow us on TikTok, Bluesky, WhatsApp, X and Facebook. You can also write to our editor to share your thoughts on our stories and share your own. The best letters are published every Sunday.

If we want to rebuild faith that our elected representatives can deliver on their promises then we have to be able to communicate with them. In the modern age of social media the best way you can do that is to be yourself while finding a place of common ground to connect with people.