Always mind the buzzwords

'Get Brexit done' was a phrase used on several occasions during the 2019 general election campaign.

Fair play to Boris Johnson - it was a message that cut through.

After years of deadlock in Parliament, a Brexit solution needed to be found and Johnson knew a large chunk of the British public were sick of this issue.

There were other priorities that needed to be addressed aside from the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union, but a failure to find a solution sidelined important issues.

Thankfully, the issue has played less of a role during the 2024 campaign, but buzzwords have still had a part to play.

The current Prime Minister's 'clear plan, bold action' phrasing hasn't made much of a difference and can be compared to Theresa May's 'strong and stable' messaging.

But that isn't as troubling as the buzzwords used by Reform UK and its supporters.

The Establishment. Woke. Mainstream media (or MSM for short). Lefties. Virtue signalling. Marxists.

Reform's supporters have used these phrases countless times on social media and quite frankly, it's time to change things up.

Reform UK and their supporters are more than entitled to express their views and put their case forward, but they need to prioritise the most important issues the country faces.

Defunding the BBC isn't at the top of that many people's wishlist.

Social media platforms can make non-important issues seem huge - and that's something people need to bear in mind.

Tackling the big issues has to come first and having clear policies that can address them has to be at the top of the agenda for Reform in future elections.

Buzzwords and short phrases can help to cut through to the public, but detailed policies are going to make the difference in the end and all parties need to ensure that they are addressing the people's key priorities.

Many people are fed up of culture wars. It's time to get out of the social media bubble and realise what citizens are actually bothered about.

Policies must take centre stage, not opinion polls

Unless you've been living under a rock in recent weeks, you would have heard the phrase "opinion poll" on several occasions.

Opinion polls aren't a new phenomenon, but they have become a regular fixture in our lives in recent weeks, at least for those of us who follow the world of politics fairly closely.

I'm just as guilty as anyone of paying too much attention to these polls, but even for those who don't, they will know that the Labour Party is currently on course for a landslide.

Political journalists will always be keen to keep a close eye on them to monitor any shifts and the polls have been part of UK and US elections for many years now.

However, it feels as though they have become a much bigger part of the media coverage ahead of this year's general election, for two major reasons.

Firstly, the gap between Labour and the Conservatives is quite astonishing.

Having won a big majority in 2019, the Tories are at risk of losing the vast majority of their seats, which isn't a major surprise considering how chaotic 2022 was.

Not only was Boris Johnson dumped out of office, but Liz Truss also endured a disastrous reign that lasted 49 days.

Labour look set to take a huge percentage of their seats - and the emergence of Reform UK hasn't helped the Conservative Party's cause either.

Reform are the second reason why there has been a major focus on opinion polls, with Nigel Farage's party threatening to replace the Tories as a major player in the House of Commons.

Because of the First Past The Post (FPTP) system, it won't be a surprise if Reform don't manage to make the impact they want to, but they are still a threat to Rishi Sunak and his party.

With all of this in mind, it's semi-understandable why these polls have had a big part to play in the election campaign, but in my opinion, there has been too much of a focus on them.

In our current situation, with some deep problems needing to be addressed, policies should take centre stage, not personalities or polls.

Former Prime Minister Johnson had a big personality and that came with its advantages, but manifestos and the policies in them are what count.

It's policies that are going to make a big impact on people's lives and if there's a focus on what politicians are going to do if they win power, that can allow voters to make a more informed decision at the ballot box.

Having an informed set of voters has become even more important in the age of misinformation - and the media have a duty to hold politicians to account and ask the right questions.

As journalists, we have an important role to play in this election. We can't afford to let the people of this country down.