Given its central importance to everything we do, it really does surprise me that politicians don’t know how to use the internet. Well, some do. Zohran Mamdani in New York has a clever videographer; and Rupert Lowe of Reform in the UK is quite good at posting on X/Twitter. But for the very most part, finding an elected official with a proficiency in the humour, grammar and vocabulary of social media is rare. You do not have to spend the same amount of hours on Simon Harris’s TikTok account as I did to work this out.

What I found there was a comms strategy in need of a refresh; or a total redesign. I see a static image of the Tánaiste and his predecessor as Minister for Finance side by side. Emblazoned across the still is this lonely word: “PASCHAL”. It is strange. I scroll down and find similarly headlined videos: “FLOTILLA UPDATE”, “JUNIOR CERT”, “BUDGET DAY”, “GREYSTONES”. The overwhelming effect of this graphic strategy is to make the viewer think “please stop shouting at me”.........

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