The race to replace Theresa May as Prime Minister has been dubbed “the most accessible election ever” after every one of the 12 declared candidates signed up to a North East-created democracy app allowing voters to contact them direct from their phone or tablet.
Rate Your Leader is a fast-growing democracy app which allows voters in Nigeria and the UK to communicate with their elected representatives at the touch of a button – in a way which makes abuse impossible.
An ever-increasing number of MPs, councillors, MEPs and Police & Crime Commissioners have already taken advantage of the app to stay in touch with the people who elect them and to get their message out.
All 10 remaining candidates for the Conservative Party leadership – who will become Prime Minister after Theresa May steps down as Tory leader this week – have signed up to the Rate Your Leader app, which is available for free from the Apple and Google Marketplaces.
The two candidates to withdraw their candidacies are also signed up to the service.
The platform also allows politicians to engage with confirmed voters in their constituencies in an abuse-proof way, helping them truly understand what matters most to the people who elect them.
Rate Your Leader founder and Tyne and Wear tech entrepreneur Joel Popoola said:
“Whoever wins the race to become the next Tory leader, and the next Prime Minister, has a real job on their hands reaching out the electorate. Every one of the 12 current candidates are clearly taking that very seriously by putting themselves in the position to enter into a dialogue with voters on a one-on-one level.
“The fact that voters can use the Rate Your Leader app to do this means that this contest is arguably already the most accessible election ever.
“This is a wide and diverse field of candidates, but what unites them is the claim that only they can reach out to parts of the electorate not currently voting Conservative. With a clear commitment to digital engagement, they are at least backing up that claim.”
Nominations for the Conservative leadership close on June 10 with the first ballot taking place a day later. A series of ballots will then see candidates eliminated until a final shortlist of two is chosen by party members.
The following MPs originally announced their candidacy:
- James Cleverley
- Michael Gove
- Sam Gyimah
- Matt Hancock
- Mark Harper
- Jeremy Hunt
- Sajid Javid
- Boris Johnson
- Andrea Leadsom
- Kit Malthouse
- Esther McVey
- Dominic Raab
- Rory Stewart
Cleverley and Malthouse have subsequently pulled out of the race.
