Teaching Comparative

Single issue protest politics in the UK

Emerging in Britain: single issue politics with a powerful emotional message and an innovative strategy. It might seem realistic in elections for Commons, although we should note Tony Blair's increased margin of victory in 2005 when he was opposed by Reg Keys. The comparative question is, "Is this tactic realistic in other political systems?"

This report is from The Guardian (UK).


Families of soldiers killed in Iraq launch party to challenge ministers

"Whenever news of British military deaths in the Middle East flashes on to their TV screen, Reg and Sally Keys become silent and you can see anxiety wash across their faces...

"The Keys are among 115 families whose sons have been killed in Iraq. But this week, one of the worst for British casualties, has been different for the bereaved; this week, they have been doing something about it...

"Mr Keys, a 54-year-old former paramedic who stood against Tony Blair in Sedgefield at the general election, is at the centre of moves to form a new political movement aimed at bringing down ministers who failed to vote against the war in Iraq. In the next two weeks he and a small group of others will meet to lay down the foundations of Spectre, a political party that will target the people they hold culpable for the deaths of their sons in what they see as an illegal war...

"The families hope to field upwards of 70 candidates at the next general election, and suck enough votes away from Labour ministers to cause political ructions.

"'Every time you see news of more deaths, it just brings it all back and you realise that some family's nightmare is just beginning,' Mr Keys says. 'We know how those families will be feeling. We all feel we've been lied to, ignored and, frankly, insulted. But now it's different. Now we're going to make ministers pay with their seats.'...

"Mr Keys took 4,252 votes in Sedgefield - 10.3% of the vote. Now he believes similar results up and down the country could cost Labour ministers their seats...

"Tony Travers, an elections expert at the London School of Economics, believes ministers would be unwise to ignore Spectre. 'There is much evidence of a lack of trust in politicians, so when you have ordinary citizens standing, they can sometimes attract voters. Where you have bereaved citizens contesting seats, you could have an even more powerful movement.'

"Among those who could be vulnerable are foreign secretary Margaret Beckett, with a majority of 5,657 in Derby South; Ruth Kelly, the communities and local government secretary, with a majority of 2,064 in Bolton West; and, less conceivably, Jack Straw, leader of the Commons, whose Blackburn majority is 8,009..."

posted by Ken Wedding @ 9:00 AM