By Charley Green
What a weekend. UK politics is wide open. The local election results mark an inflection point for the two-party system in British politics which has been the norm for the past century.
What’s changed
We’re seeing a seismic shift in the political landscape as we know it. From stability to instability. From the politics of consensus to the politics of self-interest and division. From one single voice to many powerful voices. Our political audiences are increasingly fragmented with momentum moving to either end of the political spectrum.
It is no surprise to see the gains that Farage and his Reform party have made over the weekend, nor the momentum of the Greens or the destruction of Labour. These elections are simply a reflection of public opinion and the current state of British society that has been building for months, even years.
Globally, we’ve been seeing a notable trend toward far-right parties for some time now – from the Freedom Party in Austria, the National Rally in France and the AfD in Germany to Reform here in the UK.
But we’re not only seeing a surge to the right – we’re seeing a lurch to the left too. Die Linke and the Greens are polling well in Germany, in France the centre-left and the left worked together to keep the right-wing factions out and here in the UK, we’re seeing the Greens rise to a popularity not seen previously.
Brexit acted as a catalyst for a pattern of polarisation – leavers vs remainers, pro-immigration vs anti-immigration… the list goes on. Take that with the global tendency towards a more fragmented system and a very interesting picture begins to emerge.
What it means for business
Politics is everywhere. Every issue has a political angle and every business must view its issues within the current political context.
For us as public affairs practitioners, this is exciting. Yes, there are new risks to be managed. But this new political norm presents a wealth of opportunities for corporate affairs leaders.
To thrive in this environment, we must go beyond the core levers of public affairs – combining traditional methods with emerging tech to truly understand each of the five parties.
Because despite this weekend’s results, it is still impossible to call the extent to which Reform’s popularity will continue, the degree to which the Greens will be successful or indeed how fortunes will pan out for any of the existing parties.
So, we must prepare for any eventuality. To help protect business’ licence to operate and build reputation, we must lean into fragmentation, to new and powerful voices, to the volatile political landscape.
That means building relationships across each party. It means shoring up layers of relationships with the civil service. Understanding and influencing developing policy agendas. Preparing for risks that may be coming round the corner and grasping opportunities as they arise. It means sifting through the noise and drama to engage thoughtfully and meaningfully.
How to prepare
At Fleishman, we are perfectly positioned to help you manage this new politics in a digital age. With our industry-leading AI, integrated digital experts and political strategists, we can help you use the political turbulence to your advantage. Whether it’s using specialised synthetic political audiences to test your strategies, messaging or tactics, leveraging GEO as a political tool or getting the inside track from different political parties through a private roundtable, we’re here to help you maximise the time between now and the next General Election.
Get in touch by emailing [email protected] if you’d like to find out more about our current offering.
