Welcome to our space – open every Wednesday from 10am until the afternoon – for discussing the day’s top Opinion articles. We’d like to begin today with a piece on Brexit.
This morning John Harris argues that on the subject of leaving the European Union, the Labour leadership offers anxious voters nothing. Who will block, delay or even question the government on its EU exit strategy? He concludes it is increasingly clear it won’t be the opposition. He writes:
Which brings us to the Labour party, and its approach to the issue that now defines British politics. When it comes to our relationship with the EU, what does it want? Will it hold the government to account? And does it have anything to say to the millions of people – including all those younger voters – so worried about where we are headed?
Read the article in full here.
So, what do you think? Is Labour challenging the government on Brexit? What more could the party do? Are you worried?
- John Harris has been below the line discussing this. You can go direct to debate on this article here.
Next up today is a piece from Anne Perkins on Ukip’s strength and fatal flaw: that it’s not a party but a state of mind. Perkins says in a world where mainstream politicians still try to sell hope, Ukip instead markets grumpiness and discontent. She writes:
Emotions – as Donald Trump, a man utterly and entirely at odds with the party in whose name he stood, demonstrated – are a powerful thing in politics. But they are also the antithesis of conventional political organisation. They are not about discipline and focus; they cherish spontaneity and authenticity. They don’t want a leader, or a manifesto, nor even necessarily MPs. As the Farage-Banks duopoly likes to boast, one man who has never been elected to parliament has led the UK out of Europe and toppled a prime minister. Who needs a party when representing a state of mind can achieve so much?
Read the article in full here.
- Go straight to the debate on this topic by clicking here.
So, what do you think? What does it mean for the future of the party? How far can this take you? What will Nigel Farage do next?
Finally, we’ve got a great piece from Samira Ahmed, the presenter of Newswatch on the BBC News channel and BBC1. She talks about how broadcasters need to quickly learn how to report on controversial political leaders whose opinions may distress their audience. She writes:
Every newsroom team right now needs to discuss afresh how to describe and report alt-right and far-right groups, and acknowledge that audiences include many who are distressed and intimidated when these leaders get extensive, let alone easy, airtime. My journalistic colleagues need to focus on reporting what controversial political figures actually do – not just see what they might say if you give them the airtime.
You can read the full article here.
What do you think? How can broadcasters deal with this? Are they currently getting it right or wrong?
Samira Ahmed will be joining us in the comments.
This page will be updated throughout the morning with new articles for discussion. Get involved below the line now.
