Welsh politicians urged to go online to reach the youngest voters

Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas, Welsh Assembly Member representing Plaid Cymru, took part in discussion groups with young people at the Royal Welsh Show this week to hear their views on how best to connect with them and their barriers to voting.

Using YouTube and social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter were seen as essential to reaching a wider audience.

Elis-Thomas said: "People now expect to be able to immediately contact public and private bodies and they expect those bodies to listen and respond in a timely fashion.

"The Assembly has made real headway with its efforts to embrace the digital era. Some 2,000 people follow us on Twitter, we have over 600 fans on Facebook, and many more people view our photographs on Flickr and watch our videos on YouTube.

"However, although in many ways the Assembly is ahead of its peers in its use of technology, we must fully recognise the importance of these mediums if we are to continue to progress effectively and become a modern, all-encompassing organisation."

As part of its drive to engage younger audiences, the Assembly has started producing videos aimed at explaining political processes to school children. The latest of these explains the importance of voting and how it can affect young people’s lives.