British politics is now consumer-led, with the main parties acting like businesses, designing their ‘product’ to suit what voters want, according to a new book written by an Aberdeen political scientist.
The real story will be what happens after the election on June 7, claims author Dr Jennifer Lees-Marshment, of the University of Aberdeen’s Department of Management Studies.
Politicians, including the present Prime Minister Tony Blair, follow rather than lead voters by shaping their policies according to what voters want, rather than adhering to ideologies. Political marketing and British political parties: The party’s just begun shows how British political parties now have to use comprehensive political marketing in order to gain electoral success.
Dr Lees-Marshment said that focus groups and opinion polls are now fundamental to the way in which political parties shape their policies.
“Parties now attempt to offer a complete product - including their leader, membership rights and policy – that will appeal to a majority of voters, rather than being influenced by a political ideology and firm belief system,” she said.
“The real story of the election on June 7 is therefore what happens after it. New Labour has a future danger because their support is based on promised delivery.
“In 1983, Labour was a product-oriented party that was led by ideology and tried to persuade voters that their way was the right way, whereas New Labour in 1997, is the classic market-oriented party. It was not just the adoption of a new campaign style, but rather fundamental change in substance; policy promises of low tax and stricter measures on crime, a stronger leadership and constitutional reform were introduced. The new product was communicated so effectively that by the time of the election campaign, the Party had little to sell as the voters already knew what they had to offer.”
After the election on June 7, however, voters will be more demanding and critical. The New Labour design is not secure: their support in 1997 was gained purely on the basis of what they promised to deliver with clearly defined pledges. Since being in government, voters are questioning their performance more critically, and if not satisfied, will quite easily withdraw their votes, if not at this election, the one after.
The book goes on to discuss what this means for democracy – is British democracy thriving, or is the fact that there is no longer any ideological standpoint behind the messages of the major parties an affront to the democratic process? Tony Blair is often criticised for lacking principles: does this matter or are parties the most responsive to people they have ever been?
Political marketing and British political parties: The party’s just begun has been published by Manchester University Press and will be launched on Monday, June 4, at a reception at the James McKay Hall, King's College Conference Centre, at 6.30pm.