Barely a moment goes by when I’m not defending the usefulness of Twitter. If I was given a shiny tenner each time someone asked me “What’s the point of it then?” I’d be able to solve the banking crisis in an instant.

But here’s a site I’ll send the un-enlightened to from now on: Tweetminster.

The site was inspired by the equally brilliant Tweetcongress.org, and seems to be driven into action by the refreshingly tech-savvy Labour MP Tom Watson.

From the site’s about page:

“TweetMinster is a public service that makes it easier to connect the public with Members of Parliament using Twitter. We want constituents to find their MPs (or invite them to use Twitter if they’re not already doing so) and through encouraging participation and open conversations, promote better and more transparent communication between voters and elected representatives.”

Here’s the thing with Tweetminster — it requires no extra work for anyone, yet it will benefit thousands. Importantly, because Twitter is not behind a log-in wall (you can read tweets whether you’re signed in or not), it brings a whole new purpose to tweeting MPs. With each new site like Tweetminster, the ratio of effort vs audience becomes much closer together. Sure, Labour’s Andy Reed may only have 40 followers. But that’s not to say his contributions aren’t going anywhere.

If you were in Andy’s constituency, wouldn’t you appreciate knowing this sort of information?

“asked Chancellor to consider increasing the size of the financial stimulus in light of depth of global slowdown in any new year budget”

It may not shake the world of democracy at its very core — but when I consider the communications between me and my own MP, I do think a Twitter account is a must for any person in politics. I wonder if I can convince him to join.