I have published this video this morning. In it, I argue that people are tired of meaningless badges, titles, rosettes and banter in politics. They don't want symbols and logos. They want conviction and delivery. And they're not getting it from multiple versions of neoliberal politicians all wearing different badges.
The audio version of this video is here:
The transcript is:
We are suffering from what I call badge politicians.
Badge politicians join their political cause into that of an existing political party.
So, we've had the right-wing enter into the Conservative Party, and the effect has been very obvious. That party has been taken over by people who are, well, not in any way Conservative, and the consequence has been infighting and, in the end, a complete collapse of what it means to be a Tory, and as a consequence, the failure of that party in government.
Ignore all the corruption, everything else. Actually, the Tories simply no longer know what they are, and that, for them, is a massive problem. And that will become all the more obvious as they go into a leadership campaign.
But we've had exactly the same problem with Labour. Whatever Keir Starmer is, he's nothing like the Labour Party of old; the Labour Party that I was used to in the 1970s when I was becoming politically aware. It's nothing like the Labour Party of the 80s and even the 90s and, well, zeros.
There aren't people like Robin Cook left in the Labour Party, for example. That degree of independent thought and left-of-centre thinking has been eliminated because the likes of Starmer have come in and claimed the badge of Labour for their own cause, which is nothing like most people think the Labour Party should be.
So, we have both our major parties in a two-party political system, flying flags, putting on badges, coloured rosettes that are meaningless. Unsurprisingly, people are uninterested in them and the consequence in this latest general election is we saw the lowest number of people vote for our two main political parties.
In terms of the population as a whole, that figure was well under 40 per cent, once we allow for those who never turned up to vote, which was 40 per cent of the population.
So, people aren't convinced by the rosette, the badge and whatever else it might be anymore. What they're looking for is substance, and they're not getting it.
There may be problems with the Liberal Democrats too, I'm not sure. They're never quite tested enough to find out.
And who knows, there may be problems with Reform, because, frankly, it's very difficult to work out what they stand for as well.
What is missing, in the whole of politics, are ideas, convictions, principles, policies, strategies and plans to make life better for people. In all the badges that are attached to the various political parties, none of those things seem to matter.
People have had enough of badge politics.
It's time we had conviction politics again.
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Pandering to the rich obviously pays! More of Labour’s donations come from the rich these days than from the trade unions.
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/dark-money-investigations/labour-conservative-party-donations-2023-spending-analysis/
The funding of UK politics seems to be following the American model where $1 equates to one vote.
I’d say the capture of politics by corporate lobbying interests is approaching completion.
The UK will then become a full fledged plutocracy.
There is little or no motivation for the parties themselves to address this huge deficit in democratic accountability, as they are the beneficiaries from tis bribery.
So who is going to push for reform, and how might it be achieved ?
If Reform have reqally fielded fake candidates – and Bylines Times thinks it might have dne so in 60 cases, although that is their estimate, not mine – the case for reform (small r) will have been made
I wonder what would have happened had a fake candidate been elected.
https://thedarkarts.substack.com/?utm_source=Newsletter%3A%2BoD%2Bdaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Lovebombed%2Bby%2Blobbyists%2B%E2%9D%A4%EF%B8%8F&_kx=95EWmmFxgKE2aSmIhUC2HcfILXTIJkqCSSDpgL58Rls.YjCYwm
Hope I have got this link right! Just seen this article from Open Democracy “Lovebombed by the lobbyists: how Labour became the party of big business” – about how Starmer’s policies are the result of intense, secret lobbying by big business and how a reliance on private funding for health, education and other essential services will be too expensive and not sustainable. They also have The Dark Arts newsletter about dark money flowing into political parties. No wonder voting turnout was low, people sense that big party politics is a sham – with power only granted in return for policies that suit the corporate lobby.
@Ellie Comber, thanks for the link!
Ed Milliband, who would these days be considered ‘leftish’ was embarrassed to have any association at all with the Trades Unions when he was seeking leadership of the party.
If you were a Trade Unionist would YOU want to support this shower ? Why would you?
Thank you for a percipient article!
Might detachment of political parties from regular people and divergent thinkers be connected to political party donations?
Yes
The only UK party you didn’t discuss was the Greens! They are a conviction party and it appears by exploiting the FPTP system they managed to maximise their vote, and despite minimal effort they came second in a sizeable chunk of the constituencies. Despite that, no mainstream media a very few commentators engage with them. Compare the publicity given to a private company masquerading as a political movement. It suggests the fifth estate is intent on ignoring any political movements based on principles, rather than flamboyance.
Maybe there was a reason for the omission
Richard, are you able to use your good relations with the Greens to improve their understanding of how the economy works? They are not as hidebound by dogma as Labour, and an intelligent, radical programme based on your proposals might get some traction with the public and media, given their widespread support in the election.
Let’s see….
Political parties are said to be the ‘ghosts’ in the UK constitution, being not recognised as such.
The proposed revision of the constitution should probably recognise them – and maybe impose minimum democratic standards for thier administration. – .
Banning political donations by corporations and wealthy individuals , and making MP’s oath to be to their constitutents and their conscience – not to any other influence – ie the whips, would be a good start.
Banning political honours and preferrment would also help.
To meet Richard’s plea for ‘ ideas, convictions, principles, policies, strategies and plans to make life better for people’ – the constitution should somehow make it a right for people to be made aware that such ideas exist and what they are .
Maybe it could be some kind of knowledge channel (text and sound and video) of a public service broadcaster . This would be part of a right to freedom of knowledge and information and freedom from dysinformation.
See my comment on Reform today
I am old fashioned enough to give some respect to a flag in some circumstances -like Armistice Day. You get all sorts on this blog.
Politicians posturing in front of flags, famous sports people or rock stars remind me of those people who say ‘I drive a top of the range BMW, you should be impressed.’
I remember the 1963 speech of Martin Luther King ‘that my four little children be judged by the content of their character, not by the colour of their skin , I have a dream today.’
That is what counts.
Thanks
“What they’re looking for is substance, and they’re not getting it.”
Should we pass-the-hat and take up a collection for Jacob Rees-Mogg to but some substance or just give him Jeremy Clarkson’s phone number? See below:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/jacob-rees-mogg-reality-tv-show-documentary-b2577266.html?lid=2bco4bvcpgc8&utm_medium=email&utm_source=braze&utm_campaign=View%20From%20Westminster%20Newsletter%2010-07-24&utm_term=IND_VIEW_WESTMINSTER_cdp