“Despite what he’s said, I don’t believe Keir Starmer dropped each of his original pledges because the facts changed. I believe that the billionaires running mainstream media companies have had an influence, I believe that the wealthy donors with links to private healthcare have had an influence, and I believe that he will write on that pledge card whatever he thinks will win him votes.”
I’m going to write something slightly different today. As subscribers know, I usually pick a topic, something in the news, or a situation in the NHS, analyse what is going on, and present the information for you. Today I attempted to do the same about Keir Starmer and the 6 new pledges he revealed on Thursday, but I hit a wall. I felt blocked and couldn't find the words to express what I wanted to say. I went for a walk (which usually works), came back, sat down again and tried to write, but I couldn’t.
Then it hit me. The reason I couldn’t write properly about Keir Starmer’s new pledges, the event he used to unveil them, and his policy proposals for the NHS, is because all of it feels empty. I’m going to attempt to explain what I mean by that.
As a psychiatry doctor by background, I’m probably more accustomed than most to observing a person’s behaviour, and with Starmer’s latest announcement, it felt hollow. We all communicate our mood, our disposition and our intentions through our body language, and through the things we say. Politicians and their advisors are acutely aware of this. They attempt to shape the impression that a politician gives off; they tailor their appearance, their words, even their mannerisms, to convey certain characteristics. After all, we’ll only vote for a politician if we trust them and if we like them.
As we move towards election day, the pressure rises, and politicians come under intense pressure - even their smallest gestures are analysed and served up for public consumption. A photo of a politician eating awkwardly could cost them votes, a slip of the tongue can be overblown to immense proportions, the smallest mannerism may be held up as evidence of their support for something, anger, confusion, or even their lack of confidence. They’re under the microscope, and they know this, so political parties try to get prepared ahead of time. They carefully craft the image they would like to project for their politician during campaign season, and put immense effort into it. Specific photographs will be chosen for wider dissemination. Particular phrases will be used to describe the character of the politician. The appearance of the politician will be fine-tuned; presenting a careful balance of likeability, statesmanship, seriousness and approachability.
This is what Labour are attempting to do with Keir Starmer right now. On Thursday, the Labour Party held an event in a film studio in Essex, an event with bells and whistles and flashing light bulbs.
Chris Mason, from the BBC, described the event like this:
“… it had a scale, an ambition and likely a budget normally associated with a party conference or the moment an election campaign is formally beginning.”