In the UK I have met people who can’t even remember when they last voted. Worse still, they don’t even know the name of their prime minister. They don’t care because they decided to throw in the political towel a long time ago. They feel ignored by their rulers and disappointed with a political class that has been plagued by scandals in recent years.
The lies of the Brexit campaign, the partygate, The musical chairs that included a prime minister who lasted less than a lettuce to wilt — but had time to wreck the country’s economy — and, in recent weeks, politicians who bet on election day because they had privileged information are just some of the absurdities that have opened a very deep wound in the psyche of those governed. They have taken their toll in the form of a loss of confidence in politicians and institutions. And that price will have to be paid by Keir Starmer.
Political impudence and excesses of the rulers Tories They have also run parallel to the evident deterioration of the living conditions of many Britons, but especially of those who are less fortunate. The austerity imposed by Cameron and Osborne from 2010 onwards has left British public services shivering. Schools are falling apart, waiting lists for public health – until not so long ago considered the jewel in the British crown – are now endless, large and small town councils are going bankrupt without anyone doing anything to stop it and in many small and medium-sized British cities the only thing that is really flourishing are food banks.
That is the reality faced by many Britons living beyond the invisible border that separates the capital and the wealthy south of the country from the rest of the country. The result is that trust in the government and politicians has plummeted to levels not seen in the past 50 years, the survey found. British Social Attitudes published last month The National Centre for Social Research survey looked at the parliamentary period between 2019 and 2024. 45% of those surveyed said they “almost never” trust that the government, whatever political party it is, will put the interests of the nation before those of their own party. That figure jumps to 72% among those experiencing economic difficulties. The survey also shows that among those who voted for Brexit, confidence rose after the EU referendum, only to fall again when they saw that the nirvana they were promised did not arrive. They feel cheated.
Young people are portrayed in the studies as the standard-bearers of the legion of the disillusioned. The lack of opportunities, increasingly unaffordable housing and now also the war in Gaza and the lack of forcefulness in demanding a ceasefire by the vast majority of British politicians, including Starmer, have alienated quite a few young people.
Recent analysis have also corroborated the relationship between growing inequality and distrust towards the political system and institutions. Including one of the The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) which warns that voter turnout varies by neighbourhood. In other words, those who have more vote more and those who have less vote less, and they expect little or nothing from a political system that they feel has turned its back on them. The sabre-rattling emanating from Westminster has become for them a background music that they no longer hear. They are not interested.
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The precarious financial situation of the United Kingdom that Starmer inherits, indebted and with little fiscal space, means that the new prime minister will not have the resources to respond, at least for the moment, to the pressing needs of a large part of the population.
Populism is a master of fishing in this river of disaffection, capable of making it seem that all politicians are the same, except for them. Populist leaders have managed to convey a supposed authenticity and are able to make voters feel like they are just one more. It doesn’t matter if it’s an ultra-rich person like Donald Trump or a former MEP like Nigel Farage. It works. And that is also part of the poisoned legacy that Starmer receives, at the head of a left-wing government and with a self-destructed conservative opposition, which opens a wide and valuable void on the right of the political spectrum at the mercy of populism.
The political disaffection of the public is one of the great challenges that Starmer will have to face from now on. He will have to regain the credibility of the political class and win over the disbelieving and disenchanted hearts. His sober style and respected professional career can help him. The signals he has sent out so far point to a change in political culture in which there will be no room for the personal interests of politicians who throw alcohol-fuelled parties in the middle of a pandemic. The truth is that he is starting from such a low level that it may be easier for him than it might seem.
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