LABOUR overtook the Conservatives in a social media war over the last week, with posts from the party’s official accounts on both Facebook and Twitter receiving more shares and likes on average.

A Press Association analysis of posts from the main official accounts between May 9 and May 16 suggests social media users are now responding more positively to Labour – with posts on the Labour Party and Jeremy Corbyn pages on Twitter and Facebook averaging more shares and positive reactions across both platforms than any other party.

The Conservative Party had previously averaged 105 more likes or loves per post on Facebook than Labour, and Theresa May had averaged 500 shares per post more than Jeremy Corbyn on Facebook, according to PA’s study of posts from the first three weeks of the campaign.

But the latest data shows Labour overtook the Tories on all fronts, with users more likely to like and share posts from Labour and Jeremy Corbyn than the Conservatives and Theresa May, on average.

Labour averaged 112 more positive reactions per post on Facebook over the period measured, while Mr Corbyn averaged more than 1,000 extra shares per post.

The early weeks of the campaign saw the two main parties drawing clear battle lines in terms of how they define the election.

Whereas the Conservative Party sought to pitch the election as a clash of personalities between Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn over Brexit, Labour preferred to focus on policy issues, such as healthcare, policing and education.

However, Labour’s messaging over the last week has become more focused and aggressive, according to the analysis, with the number of posts which mention the campaign slogan “for the many” increasing by 4% on Facebook and 9 per cent on Twitter.

Labour posts about policy issues increased slightly from 20 per cent of the total to 24 per cent, and posts mentioning either of the party leaders also rose marginally from 19 per cent to 22 per cent.

But neither the Labour Party nor Jeremy Corbyn mentioned Brexit in their posts on social media at any point across the week.

By contrast, the Conservative Party increased its messaging around Brexit from 20 per cent of posts across Facebook and Twitter to almost a third (30 per cent).

However, the party’s posts did not mention the NHS or police at any point, and schools were mentioned just once.

Mentions of either Theresa May or Jeremy Corbyn by the Conservatives increased from 75 per cent to more than four out of every five posts (84 per cent) across Facebook and Twitter.

With an ever-increasing number of people active on social media, party leaders are each expected to appear on Facebook Live before the election to take questions from voters.

Mrs May made her first appearance on Facebook Live on Monday, but Jeremy Corbyn ambushed the broadcast with a question, challenging the Prime Minister to a live debate.

The clip he posted of the intervention to his Facebook page was liked almost 60,000 times, more than any post by any other party or leader on Facebook since the election was called on April 18.

Footage of a voter challenging Theresa May over disability benefits also proved popular for Labour, as did video of a TV broadcast filmed by Ken Loach.

Messages attacking Labour or Jeremy Corbyn still proved to be the most popular for the Conservatives. Seven out of 10 of the most popular posts on Facebook and Twitter attacked the Labour party leader, the Labour manifesto or a member of the proposed Labour cabinet.