TikTok users have piled on to Boris Johnson after he released an inaugural video for 10 Downing Street's new account. The 41-second video saw the prime minister speaking to the camera and outlining what the government hopes to achieve with the platform, adding that he won't be dancing.
However, users of the popular video streaming app did not appear convinced by the prime minister's monologue, and took to the comments in droves to share their thoughts. Many were a lot more scathing than the PM might have hoped.
Some were more humorous than others, quizzing the PM about whether he was going to be giving style advice in a 'hair tutorial'. Others however were more serious, echoing recent calls for the prime minister to resign.
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The cost of living crisis also featured heavily, with many commenters sharing their own experiences since the cost of living spiked. One user posted: "country going into recession so the government made a tiktok to help us". Another shared: "A good politician would resign in your shoes", while a third wrote: "please resign Boris".
People raised several concerns about the cost of living. One commenter said: "no one can afford the utility bills anymore. I have disabilities and can't afford to put my heating on." Another asked if the PM would be able to survive on minimum wage. They said: "can you do a ticktock on how people on low income can manage with the higher cost in living?? I'd love to see you cope on minimum wage for the month!"
Despite the serious nature of the problem, others evoked almost farcical imagery to get their message across. "Cheers boris nan’s doing cartwheels to keep warm", posted one user.
The Downing Street Party was also the topic of discussion for some users. One wryly asked: "Are you going to be live-streaming the next Downing Street party?"
In the video, Johnson outlined the plans for the platform, saying: “This is Boris Johnson here launching the Number 10 TikTok site.
“You won’t necessarily catch me dancing on this site, but you will have all sorts of stuff about what we’re doing to deliver on our priorities, deliver for you on our agenda of uniting and levelling up our country.
“You’ll get all sorts of messages and content that you might not get if you’re looking at Instagram or Snapchat or Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and all the other stuff. This is intended to be a place where we can put out messages and behind the scenes insights into what we’re getting done, so tune in to Number 10 TikTok.”
One Love Island star even chipped in with his thoughts. Hugo Hammond, an avid TikToker himself, said: "This has to be a joke." Another viewer seemed miffed at the PM's decision not to join in with the dancing trends the platform is known for, saying: "Theresa would have danced. 0.001/10 Boris".
Requests to the PM included: "Please do a tik tok on your hair routine babes" and "Can we get a party planning guide queen ?".
Many people were surprised that the Downing Street press office had allowed people to make comments on the video. "Here before the comments are turned off", said one, while another echoed the sentiment, saying: "Here before comments are gone".
Mr Johnson is not the first member of the government to appear on the app. Transport secretary Grant Shapps and culture secretary Nadine Dorries are also active on the platform.
According to data from Statista, in 2020 24 per cent of UK users of TikTok were aged 15 to 25. Meanwhile, 26 to 35-year-olds and 36 to 45-year-olds made up 9 per cent each. The smallest group was people aged 56 or over. They made up only 2 per cent of users.
Meanwhile, information from YouGov revealed that in the 2019 general election, some 56 per cent of adults aged 18-24 voted Labour. The number rose a further 22 per cent when including other progressive parties such as the Greens, Lib Dems, and SNP, while the Tories only took 21 per cent.
The comments on the PM's first video appeared to reflect the age demographics of people who use TikTok. The age groups most supportive of the Conservative Party have very little presence on the app.
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