Agree re flood the zone with him and not just others. I did some work with a behavioural scientist from the US once about what makes people comfortable with new ideas or people and familiarity was the key. Also, if like Trump he is communicating all the time, the individual bites have less import. Great ideas, and I was cheered just looking at the AI pic of him looking cheery, Andy Burnham should take note too, as I think he is more likely to be able to pull it off!
As always, a really thoughtful piece, Peter. The “explainer in chief” idea is spot on, but explanation alone is not what reconnects people to leadership. Every successful political story gives the public a sense of heroes and villains, who is fighting for them, what is being fought against, and why it matters.
That is what makes formats like Surrounded or Keir Unfiltered potentially powerful. They turn communication into story: a leader in the arena, not just a narrator at the lectern. The risk is part of the appeal. People forgive awkwardness when they can feel courage. We need to be fronting up in the toughest rooms right now.
The real villain here is not digital timidity; it is a culture that treats authenticity as danger. Until No.10 values vulnerability as much as control, even the best ideas will stay in the drawer.
What people want is not a presenter, but a protector, someone visible in the fight for their side of the story. If politics remembered that, we might rediscover leadership that feels human again.
These are fantastic ideas, Peter. The 25:1 video format is compelling and I could imagine the PM being comfortable taking on sceptics. But I think you’re right that there would be a lot of opposition within his team to the other suggestions, especially ‘opening up’ and offering behind the scenes insight. Largely because these would offer fodder to his opponents. If his team could overcome their risk aversion and Keir becomes comfortable and deft at delivering the videos, the benefits would be significant… but those are big ‘ifs.’
If he’s going to bang on about something, I think it should be elevating apprenticeships. Firstly, he seems authentically passionate about this. Secondly, it shows genuine respect for working people. It would be good to see him actually rolling up his sleeves and showing humanity as he lets other people teach him something new. Thirdly, one of the most positive arguments for Brexit was we could be first to market with innovative new products. What happened? Did I miss something? 4) it promotes British industries. 5) It could help tackle the NEET issue 6) It would be genuinely interesting and could maybe lead to something bigger. There are young inventor of the year type schemes, but they never get much coverage. If it starts gaining traction, maybe one of the TV channels would even pick up on it, a cross between Educating Essex and Apprentice - You’re HIRED 7) Restore some national pride. I’m an artsy kind of person and really not that patriotic, but I’m proud of our history as inventors and engineers. Lastly, I would like to see him build some momentum to pilot an alternative technical pathway at the end of key stage 3. This should be an option and NOT based on any performative metric, as it is in Germany, Switzerland etc if he truly wants to elevates crafts and trades. However, end of KS3 rather than KS2 would be better because at this age students will all have had the experience of being taught by subject experts, their strengths, weaknesses, and preferences will be clearer to them, and their choices therefore more likely to be their own than based on parental expectations.
The key to social media isn’t the authenticity. It’s the participatory nature of the medium. That’s why suggestion 1 is good (it involves others and dramatises arguments supporters can make for themselves). 2 would be cringe and the others mostly meh because they slip back into pre-digital political strategies trying to create a character for the leader so that he can then be heard advocating politics. It has to go the other round. The leader embodies a politics, demonstrates the arguments for it and so enables others to do it too. Labour’s problem is Starmer can’t do that not just because he lacks the skills but also because his politics is not amenable to it. Ultimately he thinks good politics is him and the govt managing things well and people doing the good things he tells them to. Until that error is corrected nothing will go right. You have to something to say before you can say it well.
Brilliant formats but the content simply isn't there. Too many uncomfortable truths, no real answers / solutions to our nation's issues and, if Starmer did take on your approach in the formats, he'd be on his own: no one behind or around him (neither MP or civil service) equally capable of talking the talk or tackling the issues.
Hi, came here from a mention on the TRIP podcast. I think it's great that left(ish) leaning politicians are finally trying to bridge the social media/communications gap to the right and there are some decent approaches here but I'm afraid it's still missing the point.
As someone working in social media (I run a channel with over 1 million followers across various platforms), I have to say the photography tiktok as an unofficial fifth strategy is actually the best idea of the bunch. "The PM's POV" or "POV: you're the PM" or something like that (the latter is probably a bit too relaxed and ironic to come across as authentic for Starmer, the former seems more like his vibe) - a weekly tiktok and Instagram post of Keir shooting one roll of film.
>>> "Two quibbles with it. First, the photos he takes are of his trip to India and so reinforce how much time he spends abroad. Far better to be of communities in Britain. Second, there is no message about the government behind it."
The second criticism is exactly why this type of strategy is perfect for building trust with voters. For the majority of people, you don't build trust by banging on about dull or impenetrable policies, just like you don't get to know someone by discussing the tax system or the national grid or with them. You build trust via showing that hey, you and I have a shared hobby (photography, football, not sure what else Starmer likes to do that doesn't come across as super elitist, maybe movies or TV shows?) Or even better, hey, we have a shared nemesis/dislike (research shows that friendship bonds built on shared dislikes are often stronger than ones built on common interests.) Farage uses it to great effect with foreigners; a nicer example is Mamdani tapping into the near universal hate for high rents.
Mamdani got elected based on really strong (if probably unfeasible) policies, but that tiktok remix of "THE NAME IS MAMDANI, M-A-M-D-A-N-I" carried him over the finish line. Social media street interviews in which he brought up an embarrassing old clip of him shirtless at a street stall made him incredibly relatable (who doesn't have awful videos or photos they'd love to erase from the internet?) Yes, his policies sound great but he gained the electorate's trust with his personality and perceived authenticity, not his politics.
Is it ridiculous that politicians need to have a side hustle as influencers now? Absolutely, but it's the world we live in, and we can't just abandon people who are too fed up with career politicians to the far right. Starmer's issue is not a lack of formats or platforms on which to talk about his policies and vision, it's a total lack of anything other than policies and politics. He needs to think beyond policy and politics, figure out which parts of his personality and interests might resonate with people, and then put more of it out there.
I absolutely agree that Keir needs to establish a much greater degree of personal trust with voters. That should be the key objective and it needs a lot more attention urgently before it's too late. I personally prefer weekly, scripted but informal videos of 5 - 10 minutes as at least a starter.
I actually agree with all these suggestions and that he could be good in the formats 😵💫🫠
Brilliant Peter. Absolutely spot on
Why are you not advising him??
Really interesting ideas. Struggle to see how this works with Starmer .. his vapidity would be relentlessly exposed if he was subjected to this.
Heard him as guest on Radio 3 Private Passions. Showed so much about Keir the man, his background and interests.
Agree re flood the zone with him and not just others. I did some work with a behavioural scientist from the US once about what makes people comfortable with new ideas or people and familiarity was the key. Also, if like Trump he is communicating all the time, the individual bites have less import. Great ideas, and I was cheered just looking at the AI pic of him looking cheery, Andy Burnham should take note too, as I think he is more likely to be able to pull it off!
As always, a really thoughtful piece, Peter. The “explainer in chief” idea is spot on, but explanation alone is not what reconnects people to leadership. Every successful political story gives the public a sense of heroes and villains, who is fighting for them, what is being fought against, and why it matters.
That is what makes formats like Surrounded or Keir Unfiltered potentially powerful. They turn communication into story: a leader in the arena, not just a narrator at the lectern. The risk is part of the appeal. People forgive awkwardness when they can feel courage. We need to be fronting up in the toughest rooms right now.
The real villain here is not digital timidity; it is a culture that treats authenticity as danger. Until No.10 values vulnerability as much as control, even the best ideas will stay in the drawer.
What people want is not a presenter, but a protector, someone visible in the fight for their side of the story. If politics remembered that, we might rediscover leadership that feels human again.
These are fantastic ideas, Peter. The 25:1 video format is compelling and I could imagine the PM being comfortable taking on sceptics. But I think you’re right that there would be a lot of opposition within his team to the other suggestions, especially ‘opening up’ and offering behind the scenes insight. Largely because these would offer fodder to his opponents. If his team could overcome their risk aversion and Keir becomes comfortable and deft at delivering the videos, the benefits would be significant… but those are big ‘ifs.’
If he’s going to bang on about something, I think it should be elevating apprenticeships. Firstly, he seems authentically passionate about this. Secondly, it shows genuine respect for working people. It would be good to see him actually rolling up his sleeves and showing humanity as he lets other people teach him something new. Thirdly, one of the most positive arguments for Brexit was we could be first to market with innovative new products. What happened? Did I miss something? 4) it promotes British industries. 5) It could help tackle the NEET issue 6) It would be genuinely interesting and could maybe lead to something bigger. There are young inventor of the year type schemes, but they never get much coverage. If it starts gaining traction, maybe one of the TV channels would even pick up on it, a cross between Educating Essex and Apprentice - You’re HIRED 7) Restore some national pride. I’m an artsy kind of person and really not that patriotic, but I’m proud of our history as inventors and engineers. Lastly, I would like to see him build some momentum to pilot an alternative technical pathway at the end of key stage 3. This should be an option and NOT based on any performative metric, as it is in Germany, Switzerland etc if he truly wants to elevates crafts and trades. However, end of KS3 rather than KS2 would be better because at this age students will all have had the experience of being taught by subject experts, their strengths, weaknesses, and preferences will be clearer to them, and their choices therefore more likely to be their own than based on parental expectations.
@Darren Jones MP
The key to social media isn’t the authenticity. It’s the participatory nature of the medium. That’s why suggestion 1 is good (it involves others and dramatises arguments supporters can make for themselves). 2 would be cringe and the others mostly meh because they slip back into pre-digital political strategies trying to create a character for the leader so that he can then be heard advocating politics. It has to go the other round. The leader embodies a politics, demonstrates the arguments for it and so enables others to do it too. Labour’s problem is Starmer can’t do that not just because he lacks the skills but also because his politics is not amenable to it. Ultimately he thinks good politics is him and the govt managing things well and people doing the good things he tells them to. Until that error is corrected nothing will go right. You have to something to say before you can say it well.
Brilliant formats but the content simply isn't there. Too many uncomfortable truths, no real answers / solutions to our nation's issues and, if Starmer did take on your approach in the formats, he'd be on his own: no one behind or around him (neither MP or civil service) equally capable of talking the talk or tackling the issues.
Hi, came here from a mention on the TRIP podcast. I think it's great that left(ish) leaning politicians are finally trying to bridge the social media/communications gap to the right and there are some decent approaches here but I'm afraid it's still missing the point.
As someone working in social media (I run a channel with over 1 million followers across various platforms), I have to say the photography tiktok as an unofficial fifth strategy is actually the best idea of the bunch. "The PM's POV" or "POV: you're the PM" or something like that (the latter is probably a bit too relaxed and ironic to come across as authentic for Starmer, the former seems more like his vibe) - a weekly tiktok and Instagram post of Keir shooting one roll of film.
>>> "Two quibbles with it. First, the photos he takes are of his trip to India and so reinforce how much time he spends abroad. Far better to be of communities in Britain. Second, there is no message about the government behind it."
The second criticism is exactly why this type of strategy is perfect for building trust with voters. For the majority of people, you don't build trust by banging on about dull or impenetrable policies, just like you don't get to know someone by discussing the tax system or the national grid or with them. You build trust via showing that hey, you and I have a shared hobby (photography, football, not sure what else Starmer likes to do that doesn't come across as super elitist, maybe movies or TV shows?) Or even better, hey, we have a shared nemesis/dislike (research shows that friendship bonds built on shared dislikes are often stronger than ones built on common interests.) Farage uses it to great effect with foreigners; a nicer example is Mamdani tapping into the near universal hate for high rents.
Mamdani got elected based on really strong (if probably unfeasible) policies, but that tiktok remix of "THE NAME IS MAMDANI, M-A-M-D-A-N-I" carried him over the finish line. Social media street interviews in which he brought up an embarrassing old clip of him shirtless at a street stall made him incredibly relatable (who doesn't have awful videos or photos they'd love to erase from the internet?) Yes, his policies sound great but he gained the electorate's trust with his personality and perceived authenticity, not his politics.
Is it ridiculous that politicians need to have a side hustle as influencers now? Absolutely, but it's the world we live in, and we can't just abandon people who are too fed up with career politicians to the far right. Starmer's issue is not a lack of formats or platforms on which to talk about his policies and vision, it's a total lack of anything other than policies and politics. He needs to think beyond policy and politics, figure out which parts of his personality and interests might resonate with people, and then put more of it out there.
I absolutely agree that Keir needs to establish a much greater degree of personal trust with voters. That should be the key objective and it needs a lot more attention urgently before it's too late. I personally prefer weekly, scripted but informal videos of 5 - 10 minutes as at least a starter.
He's clunky as he's not into bullshit. Bullshit wins