Building walls, banning Muslims, mass deportations. However bad things appear in UK politics, we console ourselves with the thought that Trump could never happen here. Before that comforting thought tips over into full schadenfreude at the expense of our American cousins, we might wonder why that’s the case.
There are two obvious reasons we don’t have a Trump figure. Firstly, Trump’s appeal is in a class of its own. There’s nobody in British politics who matches his ‘outsider’ status, brazen style and celebrity. Secondly, our electoral system prevents significant gains by any outsider candidates. Ukip’s paltry one MP from over four million votes at the 2015 election confirms this.
Leaving aside the differences in personality and the electoral system, there’s another vast difference between the two countries which means that it’s highly unlikely we will ever see the emergence of a British Trump: the evangelical vote.
As any House of Cards or West Wing devotee knows, evangelical voters are key to the Republican base.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in