ONE of the lessons we all learned from the 2017 General Election is that we shouldn’t underestimate the power of social media.

Even in the two and a half years since I was first elected there has been a clear shift in how MPs interact with their constituents via their Twitter and Facebook accounts.

When a story hits the headlines, it spreads like wildfire through cyber space.

It doesn’t even have to be true; fake news is on the rise.

Recently, my inbox and social media accounts exploded with accusations of my apparent disregard for animals as sentient beings given that I hadn’t supported an amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill. The problem was that the story, which had been reported by The Independent and subsequently seen by more than million people, was completely false.

It is the responsibility of any MP to ensure that those who have been prompted to contact them after reading an inaccurate news report are given a full explanation – all of which takes time.

Many of those who got in touch have been grateful for the reassurance that our Animal Welfare Act – which is one of the most stringent in the world – is built on the premise that animals feel pain.

What I find most frustrating is that we have made some genuine progress in strengthening our animal welfare and environmental standards in recent weeks with a ban on the ivory trade, compulsory CCTV in slaughterhouses and tackling the horror of single use plastics.

I firmly believe in press independence, but with that freedom comes responsibility.

Retractions might be published but the damage has been done.

I accept that there is no easy solution to the fake news phenomenon but we do have to try to find solutions.

My colleagues on the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee are currently undertaking an inquiry into the subject, and would welcome any written submissions.

In the meantime, media integrity is essential, and accuracy in reporting should be taken as a given.