Tag Archives: authentic politics

I came of “political age” in 1997: a politics-mad 17 year old, I won my sixth form’s mock election (for the Lib Dems obviously) and marvelled at the idea I was now living under a Government which wasn’t Conservative. That year, Labour swept to power on a wave of optimism. But very quickly, politics became about message discipline, media management, and “lines to take.” Ministers stuck rigidly to scripts, ducked difficult questions, and avoided risk at all costs. At first it looked professional; soon it looked fake. That culture of spin eroded public trust and, I believe, has left politics diminished.

Politics is so often thought of as a battle of ideas – manifestos, policies, the detail of legislation. But we know most people don’t follow politics in that way. Voters don’t usually sit down with policy papers; they judge us on how we make them feel, whether what we say rings true, and whether we sound like people they can actually trust. More than ever, politics is less about the issues themselves and more about how we communicate.

That’s why figures like Donald Trump and Nigel Farage, however vile their ideas, have managed to cut through. They project a bluntness that their supporters interpret as honesty. It seems authentic – unscripted, unpolished, and real. People believe they are hearing what these politicians actually think, rather than a line from an adviser’s grid.

We’ve also seen a very different kind of authenticity in Ed Davey’s leadership. His willingness to speak openly about his life as a carer – the challenges and sacrifices of looking after his disabled son – has struck a chord. It hasn’t been about clever soundbites but about showing humanity. That kind of authenticity builds a connection with voters that I see played out whenever I meet constituents – “Ah yes, Ed Davey, I like what he says about care” is usually the kind of positive comment that’s made about him.