The Election That Never Took Place
From Planet 237
by Gareth Leaman
Gareth Leaman details the reasons why Wales as a partially devolved polity barely existed in the UK general election campaign. He describes the troubling dilemmas for parties who want to defend Wales against the depredations of a Tory-led British state. What can be learnt for the future?
When assessing the media coverage of December’s general election, it would be reasonable to conclude that the politics of Wales barely featured at all. It is well documented that there is little space in ‘mainstream’ British media forms to develop and articulate a complex, coherent discourse that is recognisably Welsh and speaks specifically to and for the people of Wales,1 yet this election, in particular, has compounded just how powerless political parties are when attempting to foreground Wales. This is also crucial to acknowledge when looking forwards and assessing what lessons can be learnt for future general election campaigns.
Sign in to read more
