After decades of the Conservative and Labour parties taking turns governing the United Kingdom, voters (and, indeed, those who have given up voting altogether) want a different political force to break the mould. This, at least, is a finding of the latest annual “trust barometer” from American public relations firm Edelman.
Almost two-thirds (61%) of the 3,000 UK adults questioned in January for the survey, reported in The Independent, said the country “needs a completely new type of political party to compete with the Conservatives and Labour for power.” No wonder, given that exactly three-quarters also said they believed the UK was heading in the wrong direction—a record figure in the 20-year-old survey—and 68% said politicians were more likely to lie.
Over the past decade of Conservative Party rule, Tory officials have often spoken well on core issues but have done notably less—for example on crime, immigration, and the economy—in the way of action. Considering the party’s growing unpopularity, Labour should be performing much better than it is, but it is not at all clear that the Opposition would have performed better in these and other areas were it to have held the keys to Number 10 Downing Street. All this, according to William Clouston, leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), which positions itself as “economically left-leaning and culturally traditional,” shows “the Con-Lab duopoly is cooked.” He told The European Conservative:
It’s obvious to most British people that—together—the establishment parties have ruined the country. The Conservatives haven’t conserved anything and Labour has turned its back on Britain’s working men and women. They think politics is about advertising rather than delivering basic services and prosperity.
Mr. Clouston added that “the time is ripe for a party to emerge to shake things up.” “Where the public has got to know us,” he said, “they are taking up our offer with relish and we’re winning elections.” The SDP last year won its first council seat in Leeds, in what The Yorkshire Post described as “one of the most shocking local election results the city has ever seen.” Its sights are now set on more such victories. Other smaller parties, including Reclaim and, more recently, the True and Fair Party, have insisted they are the ones to take on the establishment forces, but these have either slid into obscurity after a few moments of press coverage or are widely considered to be destined to fail.
Despite increasing disillusionment with the Tories and Labour, politics professor Tim Bale highlighted that voters only “SAY” they want an alternative, while the nation’s habit of tribal voting ensures the “Con-Lab duopoly” continues to hold power. Professor Bale added that even if voters do want to boost a new party into office, “it’s just not going to happen—not for a long time anyway, particularly under First Past the Post,” the electoral system which favours large forces.
