Tag Archives: labour

Understanding Britain’s Debt Through Biscuits: How Labour MPs Embrace Viral Trends

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A recurring question for progressives is how to create a straightforward and impactful message regarding the economy. A Labor MP discovered the solution through a few bags of M&S biscuits.

Gordon McKee, who represents Glasgow South, shared: Over 3.3 million views on X. In a brief 101-second video, he employs a stack of custard creams and chocolate bourbons to represent Britain’s debt-to-GDP ratio.

While this may not appear to be a monumental achievement, it’s worth noting that some of the world’s most prominent politicians (such as Donald Trump, Nigel Farage, and Zoran Mamdani) have effectively utilized well-crafted short videos to disseminate their campaign messages.

Yet, within the Parliamentary Labor Party, Mr. McKee stands out as a pioneer— the only backbencher known to have enlisted digital content creators.

This choice proved fruitful, as a series of professionally produced videos utilizing the popular Grubby analogy were crafted to achieve viral status. In recent weeks, several of his colleagues, including Leeds East MP Richard Burgon, have begun to follow his lead.


“I feel like I owe an apology for starting this!” McKee remarked humorously, asserting that digital communication and campaign strategies are now essential for politicians.

He aims to release several such videos each week, focusing on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube shorts. Unlike X, these platforms can engage audiences beyond the politically active.

“Last week I spoke at a local high school and asked how many read a daily newspaper; only one hand went up. When I asked how many used Instagram, every hand shot up,” he noted.

“While there’s been a significant shift in how people consume information in the last decade, the communication methods of politicians and MPs with their constituents have not kept pace.”

Signs indicate that the Labor machinery is gearing up. On November 21, Keir Starmer emailed Labor MPs to announce the party’s “significant investment” in a “new comprehensive training program” for digital campaigning.

Internally, the party unveiled what it dubbed a “second phase strategy” to modernize its campaigning using social media and an app called Labor One, acknowledging that “the way we campaigned in 2024 isn’t enough to secure victory in 2029.”

Diet members have started taking initiative as well. Burgon employed 200 packs of Sainsbury’s Fusilli to show how £1 billion compares to the UK average salary of £33,000. His video garnered around 650,000 views on X.

“This past weekend, while touring church fairs in my district, I was surprised by how many people had seen this video,” Burgon stated. “I’ve been advocating for a wealth tax for some time and thought this would be a creative way to spread the message.”

The 106kg pasta mountain purchased by Mr. Burgon’s parliamentary team was donated to a London food bank after it became impractical to transport it to Leeds.

Loughborough MP and economist Jieven Sander noted: We produced a James Bond-themed video during Budget Week to discuss the various factors influencing government bond interest rates. “I’d love it if people read my 2,000-word essays, but they don’t. I need to find a way to make them engaging,” he expressed.

He relies on his existing parliamentary staff equipped with smartphones and a ring light mounted on a tripod in his office to create online content. Social media planning features in their regular weekly status meetings.

When asked whether the government should take more steps to motivate MPs to modernize their communications, Mr. Sander expressed concerns about potential restrictions.

“When communication is more organic and people comprehend the government’s message in diverse ways, it tends to work better,” he pointed out. “If there’s a unified vision, everyone should be able to understand the script.”

Several incoming ministers are also branching out on social media, including Treasury Secretary Dan Tomlinson, who recorded a casual pre-Budget video while heading to Greg’s for donuts. Westminster Underground Station. AI Minister Kanishka Narayan filmed a video with my iPhone discussing the advancement of technology in the UK.

Some ministers are also engaging in this trend. Housing Secretary Steve Reid held an “Ask Me Anything” session on Reddit concerning plans to reopen local pubs in September. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, a long-time enthusiast of vertical videos, stated: Used ASMR to promote a government announcement about small modular reactors (SMR).

“During the general election, we had a significant team to support individuals in these efforts, but now they must undertake it within their own offices,” a Labor source remarked. “It’s more challenging when you’re not on the offensive and need to defend or create a positive narrative. This is why creativity is essential. It’s a tough skill to master, but it’s absolutely crucial.”

Mr. Mackie argued that this challenge is particularly pronounced for the left because right-wing figures like Mr. Farage and shadow attorney general Robert Jenrick excel at telling very clear and straightforward stories across various platforms.

“The task for progressives is to convey complex arguments that are realistic, aspirational, practical, and attainable, while doing so in a captivating and engaging manner,” he commented.

Source: www.theguardian.com

The Labour Party Needs to Spread Their Message, Regardless of Their Desires | Social Media

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During Keir Starmer’s 2020 Labour leader campaign, his team debated the idea of him leaving Twitter altogether.

Many of Starmer’s close associates wanted to change the party’s direction following a tough election and divisive social media campaigning.

Before Elon Musk took over Twitter, rebranded it as X, and allowed far-right figures back on the platform, there was a noticeable increase in misinformation. The aggressive nature of the platform seemed to fuel a darker side of politics.

Starmer himself has always been wary of Twitter’s usefulness, especially when dealing with difficulties faced by his own MPs. However, the plan to boycott the platform never materialized due to the challenges of being in opposition.

Currently, politicians like Starmer heavily rely on X for communication purposes. Despite criticism, X remains a key platform for making important announcements.

While Labour has a “tweet first” strategy, there are concerns within the government about the sustainability of this approach. Musk recently mocked Starmer on X, spreading misinformation to his large following.

Although government ministers do not explicitly mention X, they acknowledge the problem of misinformation on various platforms including X, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and WhatsApp.

Recognizing X’s unique position as a platform used by politicians and journalists, concerns about accuracy and the platform’s owners’ influence in spreading misinformation are growing.

Elon Musk may soon shift focus back to the US presidential election. Photo: David Swanson/Reuters

A spokesperson for Starmer condemned Musk’s inflammatory comments and actions on X, emphasizing the need for responsible behavior on the platform.

While Musk may eventually move on from provoking Starmer, the situation poses a challenge for the government. Efforts to work closely with social media companies continue, but further actions under the online safety law may be considered.

As some organizations and MPs reconsider their use of X, the dilemma of balancing the platform’s benefits with its drawbacks persists. The instant access to influential individuals and breaking news sets X apart, making it a difficult platform to abandon.

Despite criticisms and concerns, the importance of X in the political landscape remains undeniable, making it an indispensable tool for communication and information dissemination.

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘Almost all the people support Labour’: Why the 2024 election won’t be dominated by TikTok | TikTok

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While this may be the first general election to be decided using TikTok, it won’t be the first election to be decided on TikTok for the simple reason that British users of the video app are already more likely to vote for Labour.

“The problem is that pretty much everyone on TikTok is already on our side,” a Labour campaign source said. “We need to reach out to the swing vote.”

TikTok’s relatively young user base, and Labour’s commanding lead among young voters, give the app a strange role in this election. There’s no doubt that tens of millions of Britons are consuming election content on the platform — a fertile ground for memes to spread, embarrassing videos to go viral, and passionate political opinions to rally support — and all political parties feel they have to be involved.

But within the Labour party, it is also seen as an unreliable way of conveying Keir Starmer’s core messages on economic and education policy to “Whitby women” and other specific undecided voters who will decide the outcome of dozens of close constituencies across the UK.

Just using TikTok is a strong indicator that someone is already inclined to vote Labour, according to Deltapol research, which found that TikTok users are 31% more likely to vote for Keir Starmer’s party than people of the same age and background who don’t use the video app.

“This allows us to conclude that people who use TikTok are more likely to vote Labour,” said Mike Joslin, a veteran digital campaigner who commissioned the research for artificial intelligence start-up Bombe. “Other channels give them more control in reaching undecided voters.”

TikTok’s cultural influence in the UK is undeniable, with 45% of UK internet users spending an average of 28 minutes a day on the app, according to the British Communications Authority. If you’ve ever seen the queues outside a TikTok-inspired restaurant or shop, you know the app can have a huge real-world impact and change behavior. While the typical user is Gen Z, its audience is actually ageing, with much of its recent growth coming from people in their 30s.


Lord Cameron was filmed on a voter's Ring doorbell camera while campaigning for the Conservative party in the general election. Photo: TikTok

Joslin said the app has become “essentially television,” with users endlessly scrolling through videos without necessarily engaging. “You can reach 10 million people, but what impact does that have on their actual willingness to vote? It’s more of a tool for mobilizing voters than necessarily a tool for persuading voters.”

One of the biggest challenges is that TikTok employs an opaque recommendation algorithm that is extremely difficult for political activists and journalists to monitor, meaning that just determining which videos are popular focuses on what political parties are doing on their official accounts, even though much of the conversation is taking place elsewhere and is largely invisible.

Older social networks like X and Facebook were built on the concept of following individuals and sharing content, such as links to news articles, in a way that could be tracked and monitored. TikTok is centered around powerful algorithms that identify users who are likely to enjoy specific content and serve them appropriate video streams.

The end result is highly unpredictable and not necessarily useful for political campaigns: if an ordinary person with no followers produces a particularly compelling political video (such as the 1 million people who watched David Cameron through a Ring doorbell during an election campaign in Hampshire), it can be more effective than a carefully crafted official post by an official channel (such as the 40,000 people who watched Rishi Sunak answer a question about agriculture on the official Conservative party account).

According to one Labour campaigner, the aim of the party’s TikTok strategy is to encourage young people to watch videos (e.g.
A post comparing Rishi Sunak to a Magic the Gathering card) and post it to a family WhatsApp group. This way, they say, TikTok content can actually reach swing voters. “The strategy isn’t to target young people, but to connect with friends and family by sharing outside the platform.”

Source: www.theguardian.com