British Politics

'Hitting the Political Runway'

Politics may not be on the runway of positive topical conversations due to the doom and gloom of the country’s imbalanced chequebook. However, current politics can be compared to a designer that is just in the preparatory stage, who has to design a collection that speaks to its audience not offends them into a state of scepticism. In the world of fashion, classic looks are central to establishing longevity, which is a motion that the Tory camp has taken by retreating to Thatcherism of the 80’s. Re-establishing Thatcher’s  Business creation Scheme with Union controls, this Thatcherism stance of fiscal policy has been misunderstood by the British public due to the hard hitting and fast pace deficit reduction course. The unease of the current fiscal package backed by the coalition has left the electorate feeling uneasy. This feeling of tautness can be measured by the misguided actions of the Tory compadre the Liberal Democrats or actually should I say the inaction of the coalition counterpart.

The liberal Democrats were considered to be the better half of the coalition, who would act as measured rational speakers on behalf of the electorate. However, it seems that the Lib Dems have left on their Carrera sunglasses a little too long to see what’s really going on. The golden yellow tinge that is the Lib Dem colour of representation was smeared and turned into ugly mustard by the complete mishandling of tuition fees. The Liberal Democrat pledge not to increase tuition fees was a bold public statement pre-voting day, it is clear this is a party that should not declare a programme of policies but simply paint a mood. The Liberal Democrats would be regarded as a questionable label in the fashion world; it was believed to be a party that would grace the bright lights sadly it was faced with the contrary.

Positioning yourself correctly- are you TV friendly as Chanel Perfume Ad

If you were not ‘TV friendly’ in terms of connection then bow out or be involved in a rather embarrassing firing squad. You can either be a televised debates. Modern politics sell the man- the personality it worked with Cameron and Obama, both who fought elections that were policy light and PR heavy. It’s about the whole package folks, modern politics has transformed into selling a certain type of lifestyle. The level of political seriousness in political campaigns has deteriorated significantly. The absolute testing ground whether would be Prime Ministers and Presidents are up to the job; is radioman or represent a televised image that the bulk of the population relates to, therefore boils down to one fundamental; showmanship. You may be an inexperienced candidate but with the right showmanship, you can stand as an equal. This was the torch that lit the Liberal Democrats into the limelight, it was no longer a misunderstood party that only spoke to receive muted reception, and Clegg used his political ingenuousness to his advantage and spoke with a mantra ‘that there is an alternative to the experienced bozos’.  This was also evident in the American presidential election where Obama used the television debates to ‘curb his inexperience to show the people that he is ready’- Anita Dunn.

However, Andrew Marr recently described formulating public interest in politics as an honourable feat.  If you can do this you are a shoe-in, but this is an accomplishment that consists of many complexities. People are not simply swayed by rhetoric there has to be some substance, not all people will buy into the glitz and truly glamour. Marr has explained that a candidate can deliver telly savvy prose than you are somehow suddenly a serious contender. I think the danger here is you can fall in love with an idea, this can be fatal you have to understand there has to be a basis of facts. This was the epic fall of the Lib Democrats firstly the colossal tuition fees debacle, then the fallout of Vince Cable’s comments concerning the media mogul Rupert Murdoch.

Dressing for the Headlines

It is fundamentally important in terms of style that the designer is conscious of the wearer. The Labour Party alongside the ruling Coalition party has only ever taken the above statement with a pinch of salt, the electorate is considered as an afterthought. This is why they fail to position their policies into the direction of whereby their policies are acknowledged on an affirmative vote by the voting public. Therefore pay attention Parliamentarians the body of voters will only express this once; it is important to ‘dress for the headlines’ this disclosure of information is so that you present policies that will strengthen the trust the British people once had in you.

Coco Chanel prided herself on great taste, fashion and practicality combined with an awareness of what people wanted. It was this that made her the most recognisable name in fashion; this should be a lesson for politicians everywhere. It’s about clear calculation, you have to make calculated decisions based on timing and placement, which areas will your policies be most effective, how will this affect the electorate should be the closer. If you want to be regarded as a leader that is measured by the policy statements that created productivity for its country and not by the prose of personality, take a step forward and revolutionise for the better.