This general election has so far gone according to plan for Labour. There have been no mistakes, and the poll lead remains largely intact and the ultimate goal of getting into government is in sight. But this is at least partly because they have understood that this is an algorithm election.
Voters are often heard to complain that elections are boring and that politicians are all the same. But that is often because of the content they see. The algorithm selects content based on previous views and serves up more of what you like. So instead of being exposed to a wide range of views and being challenged, it ensures that views are being reinforced.
The rise of social media as a news source is widely detailed. It has numerous consequences, but not least it allows opponents to quickly exploit divisions. We have long known that voters are sceptical about divided parties, but social media brutally exposes such divisions directly to voters.
Handling the algorithm in a campaign
This has fed into Labour’s approach to this election. The team obviously know and understand that the algorithms can help or hinder the party, so the constant repetition, the focus on Starmer (just look at the manifesto pictures), and the similar films from candidates are all part of this recognition.
A rabbit from the hat at the manifesto launch would have dominated and risked claims of a ‘secret agenda’ spreading – ‘they have done it once, they will do it again…’
The reality of Keir Starmer’s robotic answer to criticism of being robotic, during the audience questioning session with Beth Rigby on Sky, was itself a reflection of algorithm reality. I do believe that there could have been a better answer, but if any politician says anything that sounds like a different position from a colleague then it is instantly shared as a split. The two comments can be easily placed side-by-side.
It is not that the party doesn’t have radical ideas. Zero-carbon electricity by 2030, the nationalisation of the railways and Great British Energy have all been toned down to seem perfectly reasonable and no big deal. That is also one of the benefits of talking about these plans for a considerable period of time.
But Labour are not the only ones to see the need to work with the algorithm.
What are other parties doing?
The Conservatives have taken a similar approach with the constant refrains of the widely disputed £2,000 tax figures even though platforms have put a health warning beside it. The issues with their campaign have come not from the strategy but from tactical and personal missteps.
The Lib Dems have tried to take a more viral approach with Ed Davey splashingabout in rivers.
Reform have Farage who feeds on outrage and ‘upsetting the establishment’ too is a one-man viral machine. Before one recent poll gave Reform a lead over the Conservatives, the proof they used of the impending revolution was young people sharing the party’s content (that does not of course mean support or votes).
An excellent post by Tim Gatt looks at how the parties are using TikTok in different ways. But for Labour, they have shown an ability to create a variety of digital content that is shareable whilst maintaining the iron discipline. Indeed, some of the content is now so shareable that Conservative candidates are sharing it! I also personally thought the digital version of the manifesto was masterful.
The reality of the online world and the way in which information is shared has led to Labour’s campaign, at all costs, not wanting to become a viral sensation. So far so good.