Listening to swing voters in Pittsburgh, Brandenburg, and Accrington, we heard the same story over and over. Frustration, even anger, with the politicians they had elected to serve them.
A powerful sense of injustice fueled by the belief that government is no longer on the side of the people it has been elected to serve. Dismay that working people like them must work harder and harder just to get by, drained of hope and aspiration. Fearful for their children and grandchildren in an increasingly insecure world.
The change imperative could not have been more powerfully felt: change to break through the malaise with a different kind of politics led by politicians they can truly believe in. Perpetuating the status quo is no longer an option for many voters who feel ignored and disregarded as their futures ebb away.
When we looked at what has worked electorally for the center left – in the U.K. a year ago, in Australia, in pockets of the U.S. where some Democrats had outperformed the norm – we found common themes.
Successful candidates persuaded voters – against the odds – to believe in them: to believe that they would deliver for them, because they believed they could deliver for them (they were competent to do so) – and, even more importantly, to believe they wanted to deliver for them. Their conviction, sense of purpose and leadership shone through.
Conviction seems to be the deal breaker. Only by feeling the strength of political leaders’ own conviction was it possible to truly believe in them.
And only when voters believed in their political leaders was it possible to believe things could get better in their country, for their future, for their communities, for their families.
This pamphlet sets out to unpack the insight gained from hours of conversation with strategists and the crucial voters they set out to woo in the U.S., U.K., Australia and Germany – and to turn that insight into practical ways for progressives to remake the broken contract between government and the people, and start to win again.
