The founder of LinkedIn, Reid Hoffman, is among a group of Silicon Valley investors helping to bankroll Labour’s digital push against Reform UK on TikTok, raising fresh questions about the growing role of social media influencers in British politics.
Labour has appointed FourOneOne, a digital marketing agency set up by figures behind the party’s 2024 general election campaign, to provide MPs with social media training and access to influencers. The firm has been tasked with helping Labour politicians sharpen their presence on platforms such as TikTok, which the party increasingly sees as critical to reaching younger voters.
Corporate filings show that FourOneOne has a minority shareholder, Estratos Digital, a Vienna-based digital agency founded by two former Hungarian Socialist politicians. Estratos itself is backed by Higher Ground Labs, a US venture capital fund with close links to the Democratic Party in the United States.
Higher Ground Labs has received funding from a number of prominent tech investors, including Hoffman, Ron Conway, an early backer of Google and PayPal, and Chris Sacca, who has invested in companies such as Twitter, Uber and Instagram. The fund has poured tens of millions of dollars into technology firms designed to support progressive political campaigns.
Support authors and subscribe to content
This is premium stuff. Subscribe to read the entire article.
