Lothian MSP becomes 'first' MSP to join app famous for lip-syncing and dancing videos

Andy Wightman announced he has joined the social network today.

Andy Wightman has become the first MSP to join TikTok.

Scottish Green MSP Andy Wightman has crossed the generational void and joined TikTok, a video app favoured by teenagers and downloaded by around 1.5 billion people worldwide.

The application, used to create comedic and mostly music-based videos, is one of the fastest growing social media apps in the world, with Mr Wightman believed to be the first MSP to join the network.

In his first video, posted to Twitter with the caption “So I’ve joined tik tok. Let’s see how this goes”, the Lothian MSP said: “I’ll be posting these videos on a frequent basis to keep folk up to date with what I am up to and share some of my thoughts with what is going on in these very unusual times.

“MSPs of course are not leading normal lives just like most other folk but we are endeavouring through virtual and online means and indeed meeting in parliament to continue doing our job which is to represent our constituents, to hold the government to account, and to make laws for the people of Scotland.”

In the video, Mr Wightman tells viewers about the upcoming debates on the Agriculture Bill and Consumers Scotland Bill.

He added: “I hope you enjoy my musings, they will be brief, I assure you, and in the meantime stay safe, stay well and stay in touch.”

The Cabinet Secretary for Finance, the SNP’s Kate Forbes replied to the video saying: “I assume you’re the first MSP to cross the frontier into tiktok...”

Several Twitter users said the video did not suit TikTok, with Muriel Gray saying: “I think you’re supposed to sing. Or dance with a mop. Can that be the next one?”

A Scottish Liberal Democrats spokesman said none of their MSPs are on TikTok, while the Greens’ claimed Mr Wightman is the first MSP to join the social network.

The Scottish Conservatives, Scottish Labour and the SNP have all been contacted to ask whether any of their MSPs are on the video-sharing app.

The Chinese video-sharing app was launched worldwide in 2018 following a merge with lip-syncing app musical.ly and has features that allow users to react, sing duets, or edit videos to share publicly.

It has come in for criticism around privacy issues and for allowing cyberbulling and online abuse.