Keir Starmer, after a year and a half in office, has finally entered the world of TikTok. The decision follows a recent, surprisingly viral moment where he joined Year 2 students in performing a popular dance, hinting at a newfound willingness to engage with online culture.
His inaugural TikTok video arrived just after 11am, showcasing a familiar scene: the Prime Minister and his wife, Victoria, emerging from the iconic doors of 10 Downing Street for a Christmas lights switch-on. The message was simple, almost stark – three words directed at the camera: “TikTok. Follow me.”
The video itself is a brief spectacle. A slightly awkward countdown is followed by a burst of festive music as Samuel Salamone, a local litter-picker, flips the switch. The scene loops, returning to the initial shot. It’s a carefully curated, undeniably safe introduction to the platform.
The response, predictably, was far from uniform. Within moments, the comment section became a battleground of opinions. One early commenter bluntly told the Prime Minister to “Do one mate,” a sentiment that quickly disappeared. Others questioned how long it would take for the comments to be disabled altogether.
A source within Number 10 explained the move as part of a broader strategy to connect with the public. The aim is to share their vision of “national renewal” across all platforms, from TikTok and Substack – where the Prime Minister recently published a lengthy 2,300-word post – to traditional media outlets.
The numbers reveal a growing trend. While 11% of British adults now get their news from TikTok, that figure jumps dramatically to 28% among those aged 12 to 15. This younger demographic represents a crucial audience for any modern political leader.
However, Starmer’s delayed entry isn’t surprising. TikTok’s ownership by the Chinese company ByteDance has raised significant security concerns, leading to the app being banned on government devices and blocked on parliamentary WiFi. Officials insist that “security mitigations” are in place to address these concerns with the new account.
The Prime Minister’s venture into TikTok is a calculated risk, a foray into a space known for its viral trends and unfiltered opinions. It remains to be seen whether this new approach will resonate with the public, or simply become another source of online debate.
