Lib Dems 'biggest Facebook users'

Mr Webb has registered more than 1,000 Facebook 'friends'

Liberal Democrat MPs use the Facebook social networking website more than their Labour or Tory counterparts, according to one of the party's MPs.

Steve Webb carried out a search for all 610 Labour, Lib Dem and Tory MPs.

Mr Webb, who is in charge of drawing up the Lib Dems' election manifesto, found 25 of his party's 63 MPs - or 40% - have Facebook pages.

Labour has 47 out of 352 MPs - or 13% - with pages followed by 24 out of 195 Tories - or 12%, according to Mr Webb.

Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell and Foreign Secretary David Miliband are among the MPs with pages on the social networking site.

'Ideal'

The Northavon MP, who has more than 1,000 "friends" on his page, said: "Young people are far less likely to vote than their parents and grandparents, yet many of them have strong views on local and national issues and want their voice to be heard.

"Social networking sites such as Facebook provide an ideal way for this conversation to take place."

During the recent Labour deputy leadership campaign all six candidates set up pages.

Facebook was launched in 2004 for students of Harvard University and has been open to all internet users since last September.

It has more than 30 million members registered worldwide.