British Prime Minister David Cameron has signed up to the popular dating app Tinder in an attempt to connect with young voters ahead of the next month's referendum on the country's membership of the European Union.
Cameron's move follows a meeting at Downing Street last week of senior figures from social media giants like Facebook and Twitter to encourage 7 million under-40s and ethnic minorities to register to vote before the June 7 deadline for the June 23 referendum.
According to The Times, with opinion polls suggesting that up to two-thirds of under-25s in the UK are willing to back remain, Downing Street is keen to persuade as many young people to vote as possible.
"While the Leave plan is left blank, we're clear what we're fighting for. We're fighting for jobs. Three million people's livelihoods are linked to trade with Europe, countless more indirectly. Indeed, every single job depends on a strong economy, which, in turn, depends on our membership of the EU," Cameron wrote in the Daily Mirror this week as he intensified his campaign for Britain to remain in the EU.
"Don't take a punt on the future of our country. Keep Britain stronger, safer and better off. And on June 23, vote to remain," he said.
Tinder is expected to work alongside the Bite the Ballot youth group to persuade single people using the site to get more involved in the EU debate.
Other ideas include a television advertising campaign on the short time it takes to register to vote, and Google producing a "doodle" on its homepage.
Bite the Ballot will conduct a week of social media campaigns and calls to action leading up to the registration deadline and has plans for putting bespoke content on Tinder.
It will also host a "generation drive" on June 1, encouraging young people to talk to their family about the referendum.Voters already on the UK’s polling register are automatically eligible to vote.
However, the government is keen to ensure new and young voters are able to register in time.
The Electoral Commission will send out "an impartial booklet" to nearly 28 million households across the UK this week to encourage the registration process.
"A lot of people won't have voted in a referendum before or will be unsure what the question is. Look out for the booklet coming through your door, which will give you all the information you need," a spokesperson said.
Image: British Prime Minister David Cameron. Photograph: Andrew Parsons/Conservative Party via Getty Images
