British politics

The Union’s Wildcard: Maybe Farage Can Succeed Where Unionism Has Failed?

Soapbox on April 27, 2026, 10:56 am

| Readers 4654

David McNarry, former advisor to FM David Trimble and a former Strangford MLA for UUP/UKIP argues Unionism’s fractured political landscape may have found its wildcard — but will Nigel Farage’s Reform UK have the courage to play it? It is true that in ceding political primacy to nationalist and republicans, unionists have paid a heavy price. Cringeworthy is the woeful state of unionist representation in the NI Assembly, Belfast City Council and across local councils. And yet the divided party …

The Conservative Party and their Identity Problem

Dan Payne on July 2, 2022, 6:00 pm

| Readers 2915

Once upon a time, the British political movement with the simplest ideology was the Conservative Party. Whether you liked them or not, you broadly knew where you stood with them. Since the Tory Party of the 1670s was officially renamed in 1834 by its then leader Sir Robert Peel, its underlying fundamental message had been Don’t Rock The Boat. Put more broadly, the Party traditionally stood for protecting existing institutions, such as the Church (of England, of course), the family, …

Who Hired Cock Robin?

Dan Payne on April 3, 2021, 2:53 pm

| Readers 1286

It’s something of a running open secret about British politics that being a politician is one of those jobs with no actual job description, and for which you need no qualifications. Another aspect of this open secret is that the higher up a statesman or -woman climbs the greasy pole, the less they ultimately have to do for their job. This characteristic of our constitution Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn famously noted in their acclaimed 1980s sitcom Yes Minister, which …

John McTernan: For Labour hope needs to beat fear

Soapbox on July 29, 2014, 1:09 pm

| Readers 904

Next up in our 2015 general election series is former advisor John McTernan on what Labour needs to do to win next year. There is no real secret to winning elections. Be united, have popular ideas and connect to the public. As Ronald Reagan used to say, ‘It’s not easy, but it is simple.’ Against the odds, Ed Miliband has achieved the first, and done it effortlessly. After a lengthy and divisive leadership campaign – which he won …