The Triumph of Labour: Why Are the British Voting for Change?
The Triumph of Labour: Why Are the British Voting for Change?
This Friday, July 5th, there will be a change of resident at 10 Downing Street. With high probability, the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom will be the leader of the Labour Party, Keir Starmer, a lawyer and politician, the son of Rodney Starmer, who was involved in the production of locksmith tools.
Bohdan Ferens
Ph.D., founder SD Platform and Progresylni
How did Labour manage to convince not only their party members of their ability to win, but also lead in the polls for an extended period? Here are the top 5 key factors that will help you better understand British political dynamics.
1. Overcoming Internal Crises
As early as October 2023, at the party conference in Liverpool, it was clear that Labour was ready to make every effort to win. Although the exact date of the election was still unknown, when Keir Starmer took over the party in 2020, he had to deal with the aftermath of the crushing defeat in 2019 and internal divisions between the more left-wing and centrist factions. Gradually, the new leader managed to rebuild the party, form a shadow cabinet, increase membership, and bring back supporters who had been lost. For the first time in many years, the Labour Party has gained the strength not only to defeat the Conservatives but also to win enough seats to form a majority.
As early as October 2023, at the party conference in Liverpool, it was clear that Labour was ready to make every effort to win. Although the exact date of the election was still unknown, when Keir Starmer took over the party in 2020, he had to deal with the aftermath of the crushing defeat in 2019 and internal divisions between the more left-wing and centrist factions. Gradually, the new leader managed to rebuild the party, form a shadow cabinet, increase membership, and bring back supporters who had been lost. For the first time in many years, the Labour Party has gained the strength not only to defeat the Conservatives but also to win enough seats to form a majority.
2. Cost of Living and NHS
Statements about the cost of living and broader economic problems dominated the election campaign. The public constantly questioned the candidates' promises and track records during live debates. Many Britons are also unhappy that underfunding has led to poor performance by the National Health Service (NHS), with waiting lists causing great frustration. Amid growing discontent with the Conservative government, Labour offered their vision for solving these problems, recalling how they managed to create affordable healthcare for all Britons post-WWII and why budget expenditures need to be redistributed to prioritize the needs of less affluent citizens.
Statements about the cost of living and broader economic problems dominated the election campaign. The public constantly questioned the candidates' promises and track records during live debates. Many Britons are also unhappy that underfunding has led to poor performance by the National Health Service (NHS), with waiting lists causing great frustration. Amid growing discontent with the Conservative government, Labour offered their vision for solving these problems, recalling how they managed to create affordable healthcare for all Britons post-WWII and why budget expenditures need to be redistributed to prioritize the needs of less affluent citizens.
3. PartyGates
A photograph from May 2020, taken during the strict lockdown, shows Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his staff with bottles of wine and a cheese board in the garden at Downing Street. When asked about it, the Prime Minister replied that "these people were at work and talking about work." Further investigations revealed that this was not an isolated incident. Public outrage over these events led to a decline in support for Johnson, the government, and the Conservatives, contributing to the party's loss in the North Shropshire by-election in 2021 and poor results in the 2022 local elections. Britons were most upset that while the government prohibited saying goodbye to dying relatives in hospitals due to COVID, the Prime Minister and his entourage were having parties. The public nature of this investigation significantly worsened the Conservatives' standing and allowed Labour to use the scandal in their political communication.
A photograph from May 2020, taken during the strict lockdown, shows Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his staff with bottles of wine and a cheese board in the garden at Downing Street. When asked about it, the Prime Minister replied that "these people were at work and talking about work." Further investigations revealed that this was not an isolated incident. Public outrage over these events led to a decline in support for Johnson, the government, and the Conservatives, contributing to the party's loss in the North Shropshire by-election in 2021 and poor results in the 2022 local elections. Britons were most upset that while the government prohibited saying goodbye to dying relatives in hospitals due to COVID, the Prime Minister and his entourage were having parties. The public nature of this investigation significantly worsened the Conservatives' standing and allowed Labour to use the scandal in their political communication.
4. Winner Takes All
One of the most obvious reasons for the strengthening of the two-party system in the UK is its "first-past-the-post" electoral system. The "winner-takes-all" style ensures that parties can come to power despite lacking a majority of votes. This can be very harmful to smaller parties because the system effectively reduces the number of political parties to two, as voters do not want to waste their votes on parties that have no chance of forming a government. Thus, many voters support one of the two main parties to ensure their vote counts. The 2015 general election illustrated this, where the Greens and UKIP garnered nearly five million votes but secured only two parliamentary seats, highlighting the struggle of minority parties to convert their votes into parliamentary seats. Consequently, in many of the 650 constituencies, Labour diligently persuades Liberal Democrat and Green voters to cast their votes for the only viable alternative to the Conservatives, and this approach often works.
One of the most obvious reasons for the strengthening of the two-party system in the UK is its "first-past-the-post" electoral system. The "winner-takes-all" style ensures that parties can come to power despite lacking a majority of votes. This can be very harmful to smaller parties because the system effectively reduces the number of political parties to two, as voters do not want to waste their votes on parties that have no chance of forming a government. Thus, many voters support one of the two main parties to ensure their vote counts. The 2015 general election illustrated this, where the Greens and UKIP garnered nearly five million votes but secured only two parliamentary seats, highlighting the struggle of minority parties to convert their votes into parliamentary seats. Consequently, in many of the 650 constituencies, Labour diligently persuades Liberal Democrat and Green voters to cast their votes for the only viable alternative to the Conservatives, and this approach often works.
5. Data and More Data
One of the most obvious reasons for the strengthening of the two-party system in the UK is its "first-past-the-post" electoral system. The "winner-takes-all" style ensures that parties can come to power despite lacking a majority of votes. This can be very harmful to smaller parties because the system effectively reduces the number of political parties to two, as voters do not want to waste their votes on parties that have no chance of forming a government. Thus, many voters support one of the two main parties to ensure their vote counts. The 2015 general election illustrated this, where the Greens and UKIP garnered nearly five million votes but secured only two parliamentary seats, highlighting the struggle of minority parties to convert their votes into parliamentary seats. Consequently, in many of the 650 constituencies, Labour diligently persuades Liberal Democrat and Green voters to cast their votes for the only viable alternative to the Conservatives, and this approach often works.
One of the most obvious reasons for the strengthening of the two-party system in the UK is its "first-past-the-post" electoral system. The "winner-takes-all" style ensures that parties can come to power despite lacking a majority of votes. This can be very harmful to smaller parties because the system effectively reduces the number of political parties to two, as voters do not want to waste their votes on parties that have no chance of forming a government. Thus, many voters support one of the two main parties to ensure their vote counts. The 2015 general election illustrated this, where the Greens and UKIP garnered nearly five million votes but secured only two parliamentary seats, highlighting the struggle of minority parties to convert their votes into parliamentary seats. Consequently, in many of the 650 constituencies, Labour diligently persuades Liberal Democrat and Green voters to cast their votes for the only viable alternative to the Conservatives, and this approach often works.
Thus, the factors listed above became key reasons for the British desire for change. Overcoming internal crises, focusing on solving pressing social issues, strategic voting, and effective use of data allowed the Labour Party to convince voters of their capacity for change. Labour has managed to restore public trust and confidence in their party, giving them a real opportunity to win the election and replace the Conservative government.
04.07.2024
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