Purple Forge and Tweetminster have launched MyPolitics UK. The mobile internet portal combines the latest government and political party news with political Twitter feeds, YouTube and Facebook in a single application. The ‘app’ is not only aimed at giving the public up-to-date news on Westminster politics but also providing the opportunity for deeper engagement with politicians. For instance, registered users can participate in surveys and opinion polling as well as downloading political analyses.

MyPolitics UK also looks set to become an important platform for politicians themselves, by delivering them a community of politically-interested followers that can be both collectively and personally addressed, polled for user demographics or garnering fundraising support.

Over the last year there have been more mobile internet user in the UK than ever before and MyPolitics appears to be just the answer to a changing culture of political engagement.

However, despite the application’s clear structure, it may just attract those who are heavily involved in social media networks anyways. Newbies might find themselves overwhelmed by the amount of aggregated information. First-time users who hesitate to plunge into the world of social media may reject the ‘all at once’ approach.

More experienced users may also be sceptical about MyPolitics as they are probably accustomed to their very personal approach to the use of social media. Either way, MyPolitics is a cleverly arranged and zeitgeisty app, with a lot of potential - if enough users give it a chance.