Political Party Names are brands: what to do when the brand is tarnished?

Political Party Names represent something real or imaginery. There is an issue of perception. Ideas are independent. Different political parties might come up with the same ideas and people might welcome certain ideas as long as they truest the brand that is proposing those ideas.

People might say to you "I will vote for Party A because I have always voted for Party A". Or they might say to you "I will never vote for Party A or I will never again vote for Party A." There is an assumption, positive or negative, that have often little to do with the policies being proposed. Or I like Candidate so and so. (talking about personal appearances) and then again about perception.

In 2025 and in 2026 again there was a massive change of perception and the Labour Party, about two years after a massive electoral success in Parliamentary Elections, was routed in local elections. The Conservative Party suffered a similar fate, but repeating the electoral disaster of 2024.

If this changes become a permanent feature then the two party system might become a various parties system or the newcomers - Reform and Greens - might be actually on the way to become the two main national parties.

The next test is several by-elections, but the bigger one will come in 2028 when London will elect the new London Assembly and after that the 2029 General Election.

For practical and obvious reasons, the Green Party is now working together with the Liberal Democrats to push aside the Labour Party. 

Abstention in the recent local elections remained high with, in some cases, less than 40 per cent of those registered to vote actually voting.

Two years down the line we will see the significance of the political changes that occurred in 2026. From a Brand point of view, both Labour and Conservative will struggle to regain the status that they had for so long.

 

18 June 2026 - Makerfield Battle for Britain?

Makerfield By-Election: All political forces will be there?

Labour is reportedly asking the Green Party not to stand, but Green Party supporters have stated that they will stand. The fear is that the Green Party will take away valuable votes that will make it more difficult for Labour to win. A win in Makerfield is important for a myriad of reasons. For the Labour Party it is about survival. Losing both Makerfield and Manchester, after two series of disastrous local elections is too much to bare. 

For the Green Party it is a test of its newly found popularity that led the Green Party to take control or almost all control of what used to be Labour Party strongholds. How safe are Labour MP seats? Recently, the Green Party got an MP elected in a by-election called because of the resignation of a Labour MP.

For Reform, it is the challenge of winning a Labour Party seat, on top of the many council seats taken away from both Labour and Conservatives. And what about the Conservative Party? Standing to lose to Reform? Making it easy for Labour or Green to take the seat?  Friends or Foes?

For the country, it is the possibility of getting, yet again, a non elected Prime Minister. People will soon start asking about mandates. Nigel Farage predicted that in 2026 there was going to be a General Election. Could Andy Burnham, if chosen as Prime Minister, call a General Election? Would he be willing to risk the more than 400 seats that Labour has now in Parliament?

The election is just weeks away, and what happens in Makerfield does matter.

Messiahnic leaders? Whoever leads the Labour Party, internal divisions will stil be around

 Makerfield: Beginning or End of a Political Era

Disappointment led to a categoric defeat for both Labour and Conservative. Three political parties benefitted from it: Reform, Greens and Lib Dems.

In Lambeth Borough Council, a council that used to be a flagship of the Labour Party, the Green Party is callenging the Labour Party and on June 1st 2026, the Green Party might fundamentally change the way the council is run by getting rid of the cabinet system. This means that the Labour Party will no longer be able to use a small team to control the way things are done and decisions will be taken not just by a few, but by the whole ensemble of Councillors elected to represent Lambeth residents.

This is a major change and we wait to see if similar changes happen in other local authorities.

Now, going back to the issue of the by-election of an MP in Wakerfield, there are several possibilities. Andy Burnham is elected MP or Andy Burnham is not elected MP. If Andy Burnham is elected MP, he will have to have enough support in a leadership challenge to unseat Keir Starmer. Then again there are two options: he manages to win or he fails to get enough support.

If Andy Burnham is not elected MP, then we go back to square one and talk about other contenders within the Labour Party. There are other issues like who is the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Is it Rachel Reeves or Ed Milliband? Would Keir Starmer choose to negotiate a new Cabinent to appease his opponents?

Of course, there is also the issue of who is going to be the new Manchester Mayor as Andy Burnham stance to become MP has left the Mayoral seat vacant.

Now, lets think for a moment that Andy Burnham manages to get elected MP and manages to become Prime Minister. From the start, he would face enormous challenges inherited from Keir Starmer's administration. Iran, Ukraine, energy crisis, illegal immigration rising unemployment, high taxation, health, education, and so forth. Changing a Prime Minister does not mean that automatically everything will be sorted. Troublesome relationships will have to be dealt with. Will Andy Burnham be a better communicator? Will he be able to control Labour factions? If he cannot succeed then, without expectations and hope for an improvement, the panorama for the Labour Party will be even worse.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer promises to campaign for Andy Burnham in Makerfield By-Election

 

Just recently, apparently, Prime Minister Keir Starmer stood on the way and reportedly prevented Andy Burnham from standing as a Labour Candidate that Labour lost to the Green Party. 

Since then, Labour nost just lost one by-election. Labour had a catastrophic performance in local elections, performace that reinforce a trend of people who want him to stand down as Labour Party Leader and therefore as British Prime Minister.

Wes Streeting, a now former Health Secretary, has stated that if there is a leadership challenge he would be standing in the Leadership Campaign.

Now, today, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has promised that he will campaign for Andy Burnham. This is a peculiar position to be in for, if Andy Burnham wins the by-election then he as newly elected MP would be in a position to challenge Keir Starmer as Leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister.

Lets not forget that the fact that Andy Burnham will be standing in the by-election means that the post of Manchester Mayor is vacant and this means having to have an additional by-election.

This is a crucial moment. Labour must win both by-election. Losing Makerfield, means the end of Andy Burnham´s chances of becoming Prime Minister without a General Election. It is a mixed baggage for Keir Starmer and the Labour Party. 

(Pending updates)

Will Labour supporters support Andy Burnham, abstain or vote Reform?

 

The Guardian: Andy Burnham to face Reform´s Robert Kenyon in crucial Makerfield by-election?

There is no doubt about the fact of why Andy Burnham has decided to stand in a by-election that will cost him is seat as Manchester Mayor and possibly lead him into the wilderness if he looses the by-election.

London Metropolitan Labour blocked Andy Burnham from standing in a by-election before the local elections and Labour lost the seat that by-then Andy Burnham wanted to stand for. 

There are different versions of events.

One version was that Keir Starmer did not want Andy Burnham to return to the House of Commons as MP and potentially challenge him for the leadership of the Labour Party. If successful, Andy Burnham had a chance of replaceing Keir Starmer as British Prime Minister.

Another version of events is that the Labour Party blocked Andy Burnham afraid of the fact that is Andy Burnham resigned as Mayor of Manchester then the Labour Party would lose the Mayoral seat in Manchester.

Whatever version of events you choose to believe, the fact that in the local elections Reform walked away with a huge number of seats makes the experience of standing to confront Reform in Manchester a very dangerous experience.

But then the question arises: what will Labour voters do, depending on which faction of the Labour Party they support.

1) Will they vote for Andy Burnham thus increasing the possibility of a success that will take him all the way into the House of Commons and make him a challenger for the Leadership of the Labour Party?

2) Will they abstain thus making failure a certainty? and 3) Will they even consider supporting the Opposition to send Andy Burnham into the wilderness, as a way to protect Keir Starmer?

Just two years ago, Robert Kenyon came second in the 2024 General Election that Labour won by a landslide, but this was before the local elections that almost wiped out Labour across Manchester. There are other players and they do matter if they chip support away from the main contenders. 

This has turned out to be one of the most decisive by-elections in British history.  What happens in Makerfield will affect the ruling party and the country as a whole. If Andy Burnham wins then the door will be opened for a leadership challenge. If Andy Burnham loses, he would have lost not only a by-election but also his seat as Manchester Mayor,

The Labour Party could lose both a by-election in Makerfield and the Manchester Mayor seat, and this after a disastrous set of local elections.

 

China: Britain´s reaction was expected

 

Britain´s reaction was expected

It is not personal. It is just business.

In a New World Order, then each operator is free to choose who to do business with. As EU celebrates a new agreement with India, UK celebrates an agreement with China.

Today, more than ever before, countries are seeking reassurance. With regards to threats of takeover and financial threats, players have decided to go their own way and do business with whoever they can do business with.

In the meantime, the value of the US Dollar keeps falling and investors are running for cover investing in precious metals and in whatever assets they can get hold of that offer them security. In the US, despite disagreements, Democrats and Republicans are doing deals to prevent yet another Federal Budget crisis, but this means surrendering control over an ever rising US debt.

Whatever resources the US can get hold of by invading or threatening other countries, the enormity of the US debt is pushing the value of the US currency lower and lower.

US Bonds: the Achilles Heel of the American Economy

 

Miscalculations are costly. #historyshorts #history #trump #greenland #nato

If the USA misguidedly does something about Greenland, European countries can sink the US economically by getting rid of US Bonds. 

The Federal Reserve has been intervening on a daily basis because at every auction the number of potential investors has been falling and those who are still willing to buy US Bonds are asking for higher yields.

If suddenly, trilllions of US Dollards in US Bonds were to be floated in international markets, the USA would be literally out of pocket, the US Dollar would sink, and the USA would face the greatest recession in USA history with little chance of recovery.

A few days ago, I thought that Greenland would be Sudetenland and now I see that Sudetenland would be 1939 Poland. 

President Trump can threaten Europe with tariffs. Europe can get rid of US Bonds and it will be a lot more painful than tariffs.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jan/16/the-dollar-is-losing-credibility-why-central-banks-are-scrambling-for-gold