Over the last few years, politicians on the right wing have been obsessed with talking about "woke" culture. While concerns over political correctness, identity politics, and DEI hiring practices are legitimate, the centre-right has become too overreliant on the issue, and it has become more reactive than proactive. If the centre-right wishes to regain the trust of the British people, it is time to ditch the culture wars and focus on the issues that matter to young people.
It is clear that young people are more focused on issues such as illegal immigration, employment, healthcare, and the increasing cost of living, rather than combatting a "woke" ideology. The average Brit does not care what gender or race someone is or what pronouns they go by; they simply care about that person's value to society. Using the woke argument as a mainstream political line not only creates division but could potentially make young people ashamed to vote right wing, as they feel like they are voting for politicians who are hell-bent on polarising the people rather than attempting to bring them together.
However, if the right of this country wishes to continue to talk about the "woke ideology" issue, they need to communicate it in a more effective way. An example to draw back on is during the last Conservative government: we heard a lot of noise about defining a woman. Rishi Sunak would often bring it up during speeches or PMQs, claiming that Keir Starmer could not define what a woman is. And while there are underlying issues that coincide with knowing the definition, I believe that constantly talking about it in that way does not help and instead sounds cold and alienating. Conservatives should be framing the message differently. Rather than focusing on definitions, they should talk about the real-world implications, such as safeguarding single-sex spaces and ensuring fairness in women's sports. By making the argument more about fairness, Conservatives can make their case in a way that does not sound needlessly combative.
Daniel Sansam is a researcher for the ONPG and a former politics student