Facebook feature lets users compare parties' General Election issues

Facebook users will be able to compare the stances of the major political parties ahead of the General Election, following the launch of new feature.

Perspectives will appear as a prompt beneath articles linked to the June 8 election and will allow viewers to read each party's position on major issues such as housing, the economy and foreign affairs.

The feature is location-sensitive and will show parties relevant to the nation the UK user is viewing in.

Facebook, which has more than 30 million users in the UK, said the feature will appear up to three times a day and will be activated by the type of article, not the individual viewing it.

The site said it will display each party's stance on the issues in random order.

Perspectives was first used by the social media site ahead of the French presidential election earlier in May.

Facebook said it created Perspectives to make it easier for users to find and compare information about different political parties, as well as helping to inform people.

Recently the social media giant has come under fire for its policing of so-called "fake news" and other content on its platform.

Facebook said it wanted to make party manifestos and policies more accessible.

"People have told us it is sometimes difficult to find reliable and comprehensive information about the parties' election manifestos," a spokesman said.

"In response, we created a space that allows each party to share explanations of their campaigns directly to people through their Facebook page.

"People can choose to engage with different party pages to learn about the issues that matter to them."