Bitesized Blighty: November 8, 2019
- Election season is in full swing, as the UK gets ready to go to the polls on 12 December. The main issues being fought over have changed significantly in recent years. With no surprises, EU/Brexit comes in as far and away the top issue the election will be fought over, with it being dubbed ‘The Brexit Election’. The National Health Service comes in second, followed by Crime, and the Economy and Immigration largely declining as the most central themes. You can find a simple guide to the election here – spoiler alert, we don’t elect Presidents.
- A digital duo from New Zealand who were reportedly crucial in winning votes for the conservative party in the Australian elections is now working for Boris Johnson to break the Brexit deadlock. Their key strategy is what they refer to as ‘boomer memes’, deliberately lame or cliched visual gags that are poorly designed and may sometimes reference themes in popular culture. Their strategy – if you ever need to win an election, or run a different kind of digital campaign – is outlined on YouTube, titled ‘Using Social Media Effectively’.
- London’s fund management industry is calling for close alignment and cooperation with EU rules for any post-Brexit trade agreement reached with the bloc. In October, the UK and EU agreed that future arrangements governing financial services should be based on the EU’s existing rules for non-members, under which it can declare countries with similar rules to be “equivalent” in particular areas. The UK and EU also declared that “close and structured cooperation on regulatory and supervisory matters ” was in their “mutual interest”.
