Kinder Politics

Jack Sargeant MS

I have written before about kinder politics and the need to disagree in a way that isn’t so toxic and doesn’t actively reward negative and often discriminatory behaviour. Not only is this better for all involved, but it is also better for everyone, we all want to see progress in actual policy and not the dance of constant game playing.

I am inspired to write again because the events of the last few weeks have been utterly disgraceful, as has the role our Prime Minister has played in it all. Nobody should watch the scenes of Keir Starmer being abused and intimated and not be repulsed.

The problem, let’s be honest, goes far deeper, and at least in some sense stems from a failure to admit when our political allies are wrong. It takes far greater courage to defend your opponent or criticise a colleague than for me to call out a Tory Prime Minister when he is wrong.

At the start of the pandemic, I wrote a piece asking people to be kinder as they celebrated the Prime Ministers hospitalisation. I must be honest; it was not met with total support. Why not just live by that childhood adage, ‘if you can’t say anything nice say nothing at all’?

Not every situation requires partisan commentary.

In a toxic environment it is far too easy to take the immediate position that our party or faction is always right, and that others are always wrong. No part of the political compass is free from individuals whose behaviour has tipped from debate to toxicity.

This really matters because being unkind or abusive is not fringe behaviour, it is a huge part of the mainstream, and we need to turn this around.

Let’s all try and start by being positive about our own arguments and sticking to policy disagreements, not personal attacks. Try our best not to defend the indefensible from our own colleagues; because let’s be honest, too often we have seen even homophobia and racism defended or tacitly supported because it suits.

Coming into politics from industry I was slightly shocked at a culture of anonymous undermining, often within parties, that wastes so much time and energy. As do tweets that are only sent to annoy people or score points, its draining to read for all of us and it must be really stress inducing for those writing them.

This time and energy could be devoted to delivery and change. It feels like the big questions are being avoided and instead we are tying ourselves in knots.

It doesn’t have to be like this, I have spent the last few months speaking to members of my own party about big ideas. Ideas you may not agree with, but that nobody could deny are attempting to address the big questions. The response has been positive, people really want to talk about making the country a better place. We all want to talk about solutions, whether it’s been about public transport, a Green New deal, a UBI or a four-day week, I have loved the positive responses.

I am convinced, that a politics that offers solutions is the way forward but let’s enable that by starting with a simpler objective, a kinder politics.

Jack Sargeant is the Senedd member for Alyn and Deeside