Two Tribes - but is there a war?
15th Jul 2010
"19th Century French historian Francois Guizot, wrote: "Not to be a republican at twenty is proof of want of heart; to be one at thirty is proof of want of head" and a recent study by James Rockey, a lecturer in political economics at the University of Leicester, appears to show that many adults move from the left to the right of the political spectrum over their life- times but rarely alter their voting preferences to match their views.
This reflects the entrenched tribalism within politics, demonstrating that for many, party takes precedence over policy.
However, delivering good public affairs campaigns requires an ability to reach across party allegiance with robust policy development: what will be the best outcome for a young person with complex needs? Where and how can a patient's needs best be met? What will give this offender the best chance of not re-offending?
Obviously, ideology provides the underpinning for all policy development, indeed, an individual's perception of 'the good life' and how to achieve it will be deeply rooted in their political beliefs. However, the bravest and most daring politicians are those who are prepared to consider the merits of solutions outside of their immediate political circles.
Two recent examples of such politicians include John Bercow, who as a backbench Conservative MP produced a report on Speech, Language and Communication Difficulties for the Labour Government and Frank Field who, as a Labour politician is renowned for his non-partisan thinking, most recently becoming the Conservative/Lib Dem coalition's 'Poverty Tsar' and, of course, we are now operating in an era of coalition government.
The valuable role of cross-partisan thinking in policy development demonstrates that at the heart of winning public affairs campaigns for our clients must be research, knowledge and evidence. After all, the truth makes the most compelling case of all."