Here at CARE we long to see civility, decency and good debate in our politics. We believe that rigorous debate is a key part of a healthy politics and can help politics to be a great force for good. Sadly, though we often see plenty of examples of bad debate, incivility, and downright poor behaviour.
Each week we will bring you some of our favourite examples of civility, decency, and good debate in our politics, as well as some sad examples of the darker side of politics.
GOOD
A display of grace…
Sadly, we’ve spent plenty of time this election highlighting examples of fearmongering, hatred, deceit, and abuse. However, despite the often-sordid nature of the campaign, there are several examples of grace and generosity to opponents in the post-election speeches of high-profile Conservative MPs including Jeremy Hunt and Rishi Sunak.
The beauty of democracy…
Whilst pages will be written about the health of democracy and particularly the voting system, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer paid homage to the “magic of democracy” and the blessing that it is for power to change hands peacefully.
They’re only human after all…
Whether you’re happy with the outcome of the election or not spare a thought (and pray) for MPs and candidates of all stripes as they face elation, sadness, and exhaustion. Our own Director of Communications came out of the blocks with a call to remember that MPs are people who face huge change in the next few days.
Think too of all the MPs’ staff. Not only do many former MPs face their lives being turned upside down, so too do their staff…
BAD
Accusations of lies and deceit…
There have been rumours of dodgy campaigning throughout the election, with the final week of the election seeing both the Labour and True & Fair Party candidates in the constituency of Epsom and Ewell criticise the Lib Dem campaign for making false and misleading claims.
Gutter politics…
After Keir Starmer said that, should he be elected Prime Minister, he would seek to finish work at 6pm on Fridays to invest in his family, the Conservatives spewed out a tonne of attack lines trying to paint him as a “part-time Prime Minister”. Yet another sad example of demonstrably false claims aimed at misleading voters.
UGLY
Not all acceptance speeches are happy…
Whilst many acceptance speeches have been scenes of magnanimity and examples of the success of British democracy, others have been more unpleasant. Labour MP Jess Philips was drowned out by protestors at her acceptance speech, and more worryingly spoke of the harassment she and her fellow campaigners have experienced.
Shabana Mahmood, another Labour MP elected in Birmingham, also gave testimony of threats of physical violence and harassment, warning the behaviour she had experienced was an “assault on democracy itself”.
FUNNY
Politics has its good moments and its bad moments but sometimes it’s just quite funny. Each week we will bring you some of our favourite highlights from the week.
Thinking outside the box…
In what has essentially become a dedicated slot to the Lib Dem campaign, Ed Davey saved the wildest of his electoral stunts to the final week of the campaign. Over the course of the past week Sir Ed Davey has been bungee jumping and taken part in Zumba and water aerobics classes. It’s been an unusual approach from the Lib Dems, but based on the election results, it seems to have paid off…
