What Voters Really Want: Bravery, Not Just Better Policy
Dr Adam North calls for Labour to be bolder in the aftermath of the Runcorn election.
There is considerable evidence to suggest that since 2008 public trust in democratically elected politicians has been declining (Valgarðsson, V. et al. 2025). There’s a paradox at the heart of British public opinion: while trust in politicians is at historic lows, there remains a powerful yearning for acts of boldness and bravery. The public, more than they’re often given credit for, can spot political cowardice a mile off. And they’re tired of it.
Bravery in politics doesn’t mean taking performative risks for attention. It means standing for something, clearly and unapologetically, even when it’s not poll-tested, even when it’s not easy. People want to believe that their leaders are willing to fight for them, not just manage decline with a polished press release.
Think of moments that cut through public apathy. Caroline Lucas speaking out against climate complacency. Andy Burnham challenging central government over Manchester lockdowns, Rory Stewart and Ken Clarke defying the Tories over Brexit. These weren’t moments of safe consensus—they were moments of principled defiance. People listened not just because of what was said, but because it felt like someone was finally willing to say it.
Voters Know When You’re Hiding
A common myth among cautious strategists is that the public can’t handle complexity or honesty. But what turns voters off isn’t complexity—it’s evasion. When politicians dodge questions, waffle excessively, or offer vague slogans in place of values, people tune out. The damage isn’t just to a single party’s or politician’s brand, it corrodes democracy itself. Voters conclude that all politicians are the same, and many simply stop participating.
Ironically, it’s often the politicians who seem the most “reckless” to Westminster insiders who generate the most engagement. Nigel Farage built a movement on his willingness to say the unsayable—however dangerous or disingenuous those words often were. Donald Trump’s rise in the US wasn’t about policy detail—it was about projecting strength and conviction, however false.
The lesson isn’t to emulate their message—it’s to recognise the power of perceived courage.
Bravery Builds Trust
Political courage is not just about drama, it’s a long-term investment in credibility. When a leader takes an unpopular stance and sticks with it, whether that be on immigration, climate, wealth redistribution, public ownership, they often pay a short-term price. But over time, that willingness to take heat becomes a form of trust capital. Voters may not agree with everything, but they’ll believe that person means it. To provide a vision is to offer something to believe in.
Keir Starmer’s Labour has often leaned into caution, afraid to alienate marginal voters or reawaken old divisions. A Labour Party that offers a vision that tackles the growing issues of wealth inequality, housing, the NHS, and workers’ rights will resonate more deeply than one that tries to offend no one and inspires few.
Courage Is Contagious
Perhaps the most underrated quality of political bravery is that it spreads. When one figure stands up and speaks with integrity, it gives others permission to do the same. Movements are not built on consensus—they are sparked by conviction.
We see this in the younger generation of MPs, activists, and influencers pushing for bolder climate policy, trans rights, and economic justice. They don’t win every debate, but they shift the terms of what can be said, and what must be answered. They remind people that politics is not just about what’s possible today, it’s about imagining something better tomorrow.
The Public Is Ahead of the Politicians
On many key issues, the British public is far more progressive than Westminster thinks. Labour needs to start setting the agenda and not letting the right-wing media dictate it for them. What they’re waiting for is not someone to catch up with them, but someone willing to lead.
In short, the public doesn’t want politicians who are merely careful. They want ones who are courageous. Brave enough to take a stand. Brave enough to be clear. Brave enough to risk losing.
Because in the end, political courage isn’t reckless. It’s leadership.
References:
(Valgarðsson, V. et al. (2025). “A Crisis of Political Trust? Global Trends in Institutional Trust from 1958 to 2019.” British journal of political science, 55.
