The MP for Stretford and Urmston called for a TikTok ban to be extended to personal devices after a secretary of state expressed an intention to remain on the app.

The TikTok ban announced last week by Cabinet Secretary Oliver Dowden applies to all government devices across all government departments, but not to personal devices of ministers and others who work in them.

After the announcement Energy Secretary Grant Shapps expressed an intention to remain on the app when he shared a video from the film The Wolf of Wall Street in which Leonardo DiCaprio says "I'm not leaving".

Mr Shapps, who has 14,500 followers on TikTok, said: "This morning the government announced a TikTok ban on government devices. 

"That’s sensible. I’ve never used TikTok on government devices and I can hereby confirm I will NOT be leaving TikTok anytime soon."

@grantshapps This morning the government announced a TikTok ban on government devices. That's sensible. I've never used TikTok on government devices and can hereby confirm I will NOT be leaving TikTok anytime soon! #politics #news #foryoupage #FYP #trend #wolfofwallstreet #imnotleaving #tiktok ♬ original sound - Grant Shapps

Andrew Western, the MP for Stretford and Urmston and a Priory Ward councillor on Trafford Council, was one of several to call for the ban to be extended to personal devices in a discussion in the House of Commons.

He echoed the sentiments of Sir Iain Duncan Smith, an ex-leader of the Conservative Party, who said the move was needed to remove the risk to sensitive information.

Cllr Western told Mr Dowden: "I align myself with the comments of the right honourable member for Chingford and Woodford Green [Sir Iain], in that these changes are broadly welcome as a set of measures, but are perhaps limited and should go further on the use of personal devices by ministers. 

"To that end, can the minister [Mr Dowden] tell us whether the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero [Mr Shapps] will be leading by example and doing us all a favour by deleting his TikTok account?"

Mr Dowden said: "Perhaps the Secretary of State is more au fait with social media than me, but I am confident that he will adhere to the guidance that he will receive as a minister and that sensitive government documents will be dealt with not on his personal device but on his corporate communications device."

This article was written by Jack Tooth. To contact him, email jack.tooth@newsquest.co.uk or follow @JTRTooth on Twitter.