Our Friends in the North
What the NIP Phenomenon Means for Wales
From Planet 243
by Ted Parry
Ted Parry analyses the Northern Independence Party, putting forward what the significance of this phenomenon is for the Welsh independence cause. He argues why its Twitter presence and founding concepts are so effective, but why this project has had limited electoral success so far.
The collapsing ‘Red Wall’ of northern English Labour constituencies has attracted vast attention since its 2019 coining on Twitter.1 It’s resulted in new, convenient stereotypes among political analysts. The northern working class has variously ceased to exist, has become insular or racist, is stupid, harbours a Trumpian hatred for an ‘establishment’ wrongly seen as liberal, progressive or ‘woke’, or only cares about Brexit. The phrase, and ideas, were copied by journalists looking at Wales too.2
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