Dryce
Hardcore MB Enthusiast
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- May 17, 2006
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Interesting article on Keir Starmers "summer tour" where he engaged with ex-Labour voters in Blackpool. Several of the ex-Labour voters said they had not heard of him before the event. Other issues with the Labour party brand were Tony Blair, the Iraq War and Gordon Brown calling a Labour voter a bigot.
Over the last 10 years we've seen the stature and visiblity of the Leader of the Opposition slip. A combination of the change in the type and background of people in politics and the change in the way th media works and how media is consumed seem to have setup a situation where even without the pandemic acting to increase the government's visibility and presence Mr Starmer is left fighting an uphill battle. Ironically Mr Corbyn had more visibility (but not necessarily in the right way).
I think we need to be concerned.
The likes of the BBC and the Guardian and the Independent don't really get the chasm that is potentially opening up for Labour in some of its old heartlands. So the 'Red Wall' was broken - the attitude in the media and those who don't like 'the Tories' or are reviled Mr Johnson simply think it will spring back and that it was a temporary aberration. That's a great story if you don't want to scratch the surface of Britain and see what's going on under the skin. At the same time the less left wing media isn't exactly going to advertise how they think Labour or Libdems or other party group can do better - and will just talk them down and dismiss them.
At the same time I think the public is more detached than ever from the institutions that govern in the UK.
There is a risk that the UK, Scotland, Wales, and NI all end up with incumbent ruling parties that simply can't be dislodged because there is no coherent or visible opposition. It also means that these incumbents don't have to do very much that is tangible - just make sure they are seen and heard even if there is not much to see or hear - while their opponents remain perpetually in the shadows.
Bit like those Building Society or Union or Company shareholder voting forms where you are asked to vote for somebody or something and have no real idea as to what to do and either just tick it for the status quo or recommendation and send it back .... or don't send it back.