A common theme throughout politics is that politicians always seem to want you to hate someone; to blame someone, even if they are blameless. But how does that benefit the politicians? And why are they so eager to make us hate one another?
The answer actually lies within the adage ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’. When given a common enemy, people are more likely to cooperate with one another, even if they have little else in common, with it even being shown people are more likely to bond over a common dislike for someone than they are a shared friend. This means that, if the government can give us a common enemy, they can unite the country and make us more likely to cooperate with one another and ignore previous differences.
It has also been found that enemies can give comfort in times of uncertainty. By providing a group to blame for the issues, the government creates a situation wherein people feel as though issues can be controlled and contained, and therefore feel comforted, as if the issue is being dealt with.
Many psychological studies have been carried out in this area, with many of the most interesting occurring in America following 9/11, where many people admit to feeling a heightened sense of patriotism and unity within the country after Al-Qaeda became a common enemy across the whole country.
But why does this apply to our politics today?
During election periods, all political parties have one statement they consistently regurgitate, a motto which is repeated in every interview and debate. During the 2010 election cycle, the Tories claimed that Labour had drained the banks. This united the UK against the Labour party who they viewed as the perceived enemy who had ruined the country’s finances. A similar technique was used when Boris Johnson was voted in with Jeremy Corbyn, with the country viewing him as an enemy and it being the most disappointing election for labour in years as a result.
This election period, the Conservatives have decided to attempt and unite the country against the transgender community. At the Tory Party Conference in October, the Prime Minister stated “a man is a man, and a woman is a woman. It is just common sense” and several other key figures also made transphobic comments, branding transgender people as a threat to society. This felt like a huge shift from their previously relatively accepting attitude towards the LGBTQIA+ community. However, this decision makes perfect sense in terms of their political tactics during the re-election period.
This sudden change is a desperate attempt to unite a divided country by creating a new enemy, which only the Tory Party themselves will properly deal with. They expect us to rally behind them as they deal with one enemy we all share, who conveniently popped up right as the election rolled around.
But is this enough? And will the country forget all their mistakes in time for the next general election?