Wheelhouse's crowdfunding page for campaign funds

Paul Wheelhouse, who is currently a South of Scotland MSP, is a frequent user of social media and has set up a crowdfunding page where people can pledge money to help his campaign.

“Make the constituency map Tory free. Use your money where it will make a real difference - help us elect Paul Wheelhouse for ERB,” it says on the page, one of a number that have been set up by Scottish Nationalists using modern technology to reach their supporters.

At the beginning of this week Paul’s crowdfunding page had 41 backers who had pledged £1,585 of the £2,500 target figure. The page will close on Friday, March 11.

A pledge of £5 will buy a ‘big bundle of posters’ (1 backer); £10 a stack of car stickers (11 backers); £20 will buy leaflets to be distributed in one town (18 backers); £50 will fund a targeted letter to voters (5 backers); £50 and £100 helps the party put posters in some of their fields (7 backers).

Christine Grahame, the SNP MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale & Lauderdale is also using crowdfunding to defend her seat, but with less success than Paul Wheelhouse so far - earlier this week seven backers had raised £359 of the £3,500 target.

Crowdfunding is becoming a poular method of online funding of a project or venture by raising monetary contributions from a large number of people and the SNP are leading the way in political parties making use of social media in this way.

The Scottish National party first turned to crowdfunding to bankroll its successful May 2015 Westminster Parliament campaign which saw 52 SNP MPs elected.