David Cameron tops list of tech-savvy politicians

Prime minister picked as most technologically able of five leading politicians by 28 per cent of Brits polled

Voters believe David Cameron is the most technologically gifted high-profile politician, according to a poll, with Nigel Farage finishing last.

The research, by storage firm Crucial, found that 28 per cent of the public thought David Cameron was the most technologically able of the five options put before them, while Farage finished in lowly fifth place, with 11 per cent.

Cameron has in the past committed his share of tech howlers, such as tweeting about "coding", which he felt merited inverted commas. He has also been reported to tell a group of journalists: "I'm 48. What's 'the BuzzFeed'?'.

In the research, almost a quarter felt Boris Johnson is the most tech-savvy politician, with the London mayor sealing 22 per cent of the vote. Ed Miliband snagged 21 per cent, with Nick Clegg securing an 18 per cent share.

The research follows reports yesterday that Barack Obama appears to be following the wrong David Cameron on Twitter.

Roddy McLean, a computer upgrade expert from Crucial.com, said: "When it comes to technology, it's important that our political leaders know how to get simple jobs done, as a poor knowledge of technology could have a big impact on the way in which the country is run.

"Something as simple as not remembering to log out of social networking sites or accidentally sharing confidential information could open the door to hackers and be detrimental to a politician's reputation," he commented.

In the survey, which quizzed 1,131 UK respondents in December and was carried out by Censuswide, 64 per cent said they believe that the UK's political elite do not possess a sufficient knowledge of technology to help boost the economy.

Meanwhile, more than half said having good knowledge of technology helps politicians to understand the industry and help the economy grow.