Is the World Imploding?

Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, and Minister for the Union, The Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer KCB KC MP

No; But Political Brands Might Be?

I ask this question as Britain prepares for its seventh Prime Minister in less than a decade.

Given that a parliamentary term is four or five years, by rights we should only be watching our third PM.

That unsettling feeling is not just about what is happening here at home. It is also about what is happening across the world. The US is arguably our biggest ally, yet many of us have watched events unfold there with shock or even fear. I know that for some, hopefully the minority, they have watched in admiration.

Here in Britain, our two-party political system feels like it's going through a messy breakup. Quite who's dumping whom is still unclear.

Looking at all this through the eyes of a PR professional, what I see is a country where the brand promise has completely collapsed, and every party is scrambling to own the narrative.

Years ago, if you supported the Conservative Party, particularly during Margaret Thatcher's time, you knew what the party stood for. The brand was clear. Likewise, if you supported Labour, you had a pretty good idea what you were voting for.

Now imagine you have been loyal to one of those two brands all your life. You were either red or blue. If you are a passionate football fan, you will understand the analogy. If you are a die-hard Man United supporter, you are not suddenly going to become a Man City fan. You might complain about your team for years, but you keep coming back because, well, what else is there?

Then, suddenly, it is as if the World Cup arrives. There are countless teams to choose from, many with incredibly skilful players, some even featuring players from your own club, yet none of them feels quite right.

That is Britain in 2026.

The Promise Versus the Delivery Gap

Let us get back to the heart of this blog.

In PR, there is one cardinal sin: overpromise and underdeliver.

Labour won a landslide victory in 2024 on one simple word: change, following more than a decade of Conservative government.

Less than two years later, we are told that nearly three-quarters of voters think things are getting worse. Economic optimism has fallen to its lowest point since 1978. That is not just bad policy, that is a catastrophic brand collapse.

But given everything happening across the world, much of which is completely outside our control, can we realistically expect to feel better off?

The current government came into office with an enormous mandate. Yet, as many of us have experienced in our own careers, a mandate is like goodwill in a new job. You lose the mandate quickly if you do not show results management wants.

Which makes me wonder, why are we in Britain so quick to call for the Prime Minister's head if we do not see immediate change? Yet in the US, despite worldwide criticism and some seriously questionable decisions, leaders are generally allowed to complete their term.

The New Kid on the Block: Reform UK

The growth of right-wing populist movements across Europe has genuinely made me ask, is the world imploding?

In the UK, we have not been immune to the disruptor brand.

Reform and now Restore, has achieved something every challenger brand dreams of. It has made the establishment look tired by comparison.

Reform is not just a political party anymore, it has become an emotion. It has tapped into feelings that millions of people have been expressing around kitchen tables and among close friends. Whether you agree with those views or not, that is proving to be an incredibly powerful piece of communication.

The Conservatives: A Brand In Name Only?

If Labour is suffering from a crisis of delivery, the Conservatives appear to be facing something even deeper. A crisis of identity.

In many ways, this revolving-door leadership model began with them. Six leaders in ten years tells its own story.

The Conservatives governed for 14 years before Labour took office in 2024, yet current leader Kemi Badenoch insists that "good strategy takes time." It is the political equivalent of a company saying its turnaround plan is on track while its share price keeps falling.

At the moment, very few people seem to be buying it.

Which raises another PR question "have all their efforts to rebuild the blue brand simply failed?"

Which Brand Do You Choose?

As Green Party deputy leader Zack Polanski recently said  

"Two-party politics is not just dying, it is dead and it is buried."

So what does all this actually mean for you?

There are now more political brands on the shelf than ever before. But choosing between them has become much harder because the clarity they once offered has disappeared.

British politics now feels like a pick 'n' mix. People are shopping around. Loyalty is fading. The parties that will succeed will be those that listen, adapt and crucially, deliver on what they promise.

The question is "will we give them enough time to do so?"

Britain's political map has undoubtedly changed. Can the old parties win back trust?

As we say, brilliant PR builds trust and credibility, can this be achieved again for any of the main parties? It feels like it’s a case of crisis management. Rebuilding the brand from scratch.

What we know for a fact, if history teaches us anything, rebuilding trust takes far longer than a single election cycle.

So, is the world imploding?

Perhaps not.

But from where I'm sitting, the brands we have trusted for generations certainly are.

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Evadney Campbell MBE is the co-founder of Shiloh PR, a specialist public relations and media training agency established in 2013. A respected broadcast journalist, lecturer, trainer and communications consultant, she has spent decades working across television, radio and digital platforms, including extensive experience with the BBC.

Her work focuses on helping organisations build visibility, credibility and meaningful engagement, particularly with the Black British community, whose spending power is estimated at over £300 billion yet remains significantly under-served.

An award-winning communications professional, Evadney has received numerous honours including an MBE, WINTRADE Woman of the Year, and recognition in the PRWeek Power Book. She also contributes to the industry through advisory roles, judging major awards and training the next generation of communicators.

To learn more about Evadney’s work or explore how Shiloh PR can support your media strategy and brand visibility, visit www.shilohpr.com.