Kemi Badenoch: I will not reunite the Right with Farage – it’s laughable
Kemi Badenoch has dismissed Nigel Farage as a reality TV star, saying government is not an episode of I’m a Celebrity.
In an interview with The Telegraph, the Conservative leader rejected calls to “unite the Right” and argued that the electorate should not confuse being entertaining with having policies to deliver in government.
Mrs Badenoch said that “politics” was not “showbusiness” in a rare direct attack on the Reform leader, whose party is ahead of the Tories in opinion polls.
The mess that is UK politics may be too serious to be wholly laughable, but making fun of the political snake pit does lighten the mood occasionally. To claim that “politics” is not “showbusiness” pushes the distinction too firmly.
We merely have to remind ourselves of Ed Davey falling off paddle boards, Angela Rayner raving in Ibiza, Ed Miliband wagging his finger or eating a bacon sarnie, Boris Johnson being Boris Johnson, Rachel from Accounts trying to understand economics, anyone from the Green Party being anyone from the Green Party and Keir Starmer pretending to be an international statesman.
It's laughable, because whenever the mood asks to be lightened there is always plenty of material and more arrives every day.
9 comments:
Politics may not be 'showbusiness' or about 'celebrities' or even 'reality TV' . I do think there is one entertainment metaphor that could be pressed into service though... Soap Opera.
Wikipedia: A soap opera is typically a long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term soap opera originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored by soap manufacturers.
Or possibly arms manufacturers or vaccine manufacturers.
Peggy Mitchell: "So... why they're still here? It's a bit of a mystery! But one thing I've learned since I've been married to Mr. Butcher, is never underestimate his capacity to make a cock up of things!"
It sort of works doesn't it?
The only way the Conservative party should 'unite the right', is to not have candidates in areas where Reform also have candidates.
Zipwire Boris, Nigel i an aircrash.
DJ - I agree, Soap Opera does work, including the arguments, fractured relationships, big ideas which flop, sentimentality, heavily signposted outrage and so on.
Bucko - their problem would be that under our first past the post system, both could be well short of a majority and combined aren't likely to be radical enough. Better than Starmer's rabble, but possibly not much.
James - Nigel seems to be venturing towards car crash territory at the moment. Interesting times unfortunately.
Politics seems to be little more than showbusiness, in that politicians are incapable of getting things done. Reality TV probably gets more traction on events. The Government and political parties are only being judged on how entertaining they are, as most people now realise that the NHS is never going to get fixed, crime and immigration will keep rising, and net zero will not happen. Apparently, someone has to staff the establishment, and politics is like an endless interview for a job that can't be done.
Sam - yes, it's a soap opera and voters should wake up to the nature of it. This is the aspect which possibly discourages some would-be Reform supporters from enthusing about Nigel Farage, the showman persona.
She can't distinguish between politics and showbiz, that ship sailed a long time ago.
Tammly - although she could never admit it, none of them can.
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