Britain | Bagehot

Why Britain’s Labour government enjoys hippy-punching

And why that risks being more of a fetish than a strategy

Illustration depicting Keir Starmer punching a left-wing activist, comic book style, with 'Bam!' action. The activist holds both an EU flag and a Palestinian flag.
Illustration: Nate Kitch

Hippy-punching is a simple concept. To gain the trust of voters, leaders of centre-left parties must hunt down their most left-wing members and pummel them. Once an Americanism, it is associated in Britain with Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader who won power with his knuckles covered in leftie blood.

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This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “The limits of hippy-punching”

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From the July 27th 2024 edition

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