Now, whatever one may believe concerning his past attempts to ‘subvert parliamentary elections’, it can be assured that Putin has affected how the UK next go to the polls. For, by invading Ukraine, Putin has had an impact on the UK’s political landscape. He has, after all, made canvassing to win votes on their traditional policies very tough for a range of political parties within the UK.
For one, Putin has made campaigning on a ‘green ticket’ draining, in contrast with the energy of those making the case for home-sourced fossil fuels and nuclear power. He has also made arguing against a nuclear deterrent and/or reduced military spending an extremely combative experience on the doorstep and the campaigning stump in general.
Putin has also acted in a way not to illustrate unity across the EU, but accentuate differences within it – and these are fissures that are likely to widen the longer energy prices remain elevated.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has also made the UK’s defensive unity all the more important, something hardly in keeping with the dissolution of the UK.
As to which of the UK parties Putin has inadvertently/accidentally acted against, the answer is easy – all but the Tories.
Despite all its present challenges, the Conservative party can confidently campaign in 2024 in a largely ‘old style’ way which Labour, the Lib Dems, the Greens and the SNP simply cannot. Cannot, that is, without a sea-change in their manifestos. I make this claim because the parties in Westminster outside of Government cannot possibly rely upon their ‘old-policy-promise’ narratives.
“The reality is that whilst all parties have staunch loyalists, who would never bring themselves to vote any other way, British elections have invariably been decided by swings”
