Winston Churchill Helps MPs Defeat Twitter Ban

MPs voted against a motion that would have banned tweeting inside the House of Commons but not before some heated debate on the merits of tweeting from inside the Commons chamber.

Speaking in defence of politicians tweeting from the Commons, MP Kevin Brennan said Twitter's 140-character limit encouraged a tradition of succinct, punchy sloganeering that stretched back to Winston Churchill.

"If that statement was issued as a tweet, it would leave 66 of the 140 characters available on Twitter still to play with. That goes to show that those who want to fight the onslaught of technology on the beaches will find that the tide is turning against them."

Chris Bryant said Twitter provides constituents with a window on the workings of Parliament and helps politicians keep pace with modern technology.

"It is not a question of being dinosaurs or anything else - it is about opening Parliament up to the wider world around us, so that people can understand everything that goes on here," he said.

"The world has changed. When I was first elected in 2001, the vast majority of my constituents got in touch with me by coming to a constituency surgery. Now the vast majority get in touch by Facebook, Twitter, email and, sometimes, text messages. We should make that more possible for our constituents, not more difficult."

Rather than Twitter and Google damaging the quality of the debate, MP Claire Perry said having access to these services could lead to more informed exchanges inside the chamber.

"I was told as a new member of parliament by those who shall remain nameless, 'Never mind whether your facts are accurate. Just say them anyway'. Of course, I have never followed that advice, but there are many advantages of instantaneously being able to google an article or, for example, send a message to the chief constable of Wiltshire Police in order to deal with damning statistics being provided by opposition members.

Twitter is becoming increasingly popular among politicians. Of the 650 MPs in the UK, some 300 have signed up for a Twitter account - with 100 joining the social network in the last six months.