Why we shouldn't take a 'peaceful transfer of power' for granted

By Steven Wilson-Beales (with Emily Maitlis & Lewis Goodall)

Is the reference to ‘peaceful’ simply a reflection of how polarised and heated our politics have become?

In Brief:

• The emphasis on 'peaceful transfer of power' in recent media reflects increased awareness and concern due to events like the Capitol attack on January 6, 2021, and the rise of political figures who challenge electoral norms.
• The recent UK election was noted for the ‘majestic’ graciousness of both winners and losers, emphasizing the collective power and responsibility of voters in a democratic process.
• The News Agents note that, compared to recent elections in France, Britain has been relatively ‘unscathed’ by some of the more violent trends of polarised democracies.

It may be a busy week in UK politics but you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s relatively quiet compared to the previous week’s run up to the Election. Where are all the accusations of poor planning, mismanagement and general all-round character assassinations?

One The News Agents pod listener had noticed that, in the last week, there seemed to be an unusual emphasis on the ‘peaceful transition of power’ in the media and wondered if this was particularly significant.

The choice of language didn’t seem to be particularly remarkable but did it reflect that we now live in a more volatile political world?

Lewis starts the discussion by suggesting that before the Capitol attack on Jan 6th 2021, transitioning from one party to another in an election was ‘just part of the cycle.”

He says: “Since the rise of Trump and his refusal to accept losing election after election, that norm has been frayed. I think we have become generally more aware of the notion of ‘a peaceful transfer of power’. It’s gone from being axiomatic, automatic and reflexive to being something that's contested.”

Nearly four years ago, Donald Trump initially refused to concede defeat after the 2020 election, repeatedly alleging that the election – in which Joe Biden defeated him – was fraudulent. He attempted to overturn the outcome, incited riots in Washington DC on 6 January 2021, and tried to unlawfully retain power through a coup.

Emily uses the word “majestic” to describe the recent UK election process.

“I was really struck, actually, by the graciousness of those who both won and lost and this sense of the enormity of what individual voters, coming together in one collective act, have the power to do. And this isn't about the politics of left or right. It's about the politics of democracy.”

She continues: “There's something just about the scale of what this country goes through whenever it has an election. We put ourselves through this process of saying ‘I along with everyone else in the country, am going to have this one act that makes a difference.

“And you feel, not just the responsibility, but, a sense of completion - that we have all contributed to whatever we saw in the exit poll.” Lewis says he feels “a deep sense of pride” in the way that events have unfolded.

He says on one level a peaceful transition “should be the bare minimum” but you now need to take into account what is happening currently in US politics, as well as the UK, in the last few years.

“We've talked so much about the kind of fraying of democratic norms and we've also had some political actors who have behaved very badly who have not just bent those norms, but broken them,” he says.

Emily agrees citing “the peroneus parliament, the throwing out of parliamentary standards, and committees.”

Lewis highlights the way our politicians have conducted themselves, suggesting that “Starmer has not been triumphalist” and Sunak has done the “proper thing” constitutionally by staying on as leader of the opposition.

He also commended MPs who have lost their seats on how they have conducted themselves on X/Twitter - posting photos of themselves meeting their successors and starting the handover.

He says: “ All of these little acts are just really, really important, because it’s reaffirmed that despite all the problems we've had, in recent years, on a deeply profound level, Britain is a profoundly a liberal democracy.”

Lastly, both Emily and Lewis agree that how UK politicians have conducted themselves has resonated on the global stage, particularly in the light of recent elections in Europe, most notably France where there have been “examples of violence and intimidation of candidates.”

“For all its faults,” Lewis suggests, ”Britain politically, constitutionally has come through this period unscathed…at least for the moment.”

France in chaos

Listen to the discussion in full on The News Agents.

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