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.