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Some thoughts on Rory Stewart’s leadership campaign #RoryWalks strategy. 1. I suspect the social media element is the main thrust, which would make it a comms-centred strategy (instead of prioritising internal jostling, for example) #thread 1/X
2. RS’s approach seems to be to define a problem; ‘politicians arent listening to what people want’, and then show how he’s addressing that problem by going out and talking to people (and filming it for dissemination). 2/X
3. By using social media, he bypasses the echo chambers of the Westminster hack/poitico bubble, and because he’s getting direct engagement with key audiences, that bubble ends up following rather than curating his messaging 3/X
4. What’s been really interesting to see is that the enthusiasm his campaign has generated is then directed at those who actually get a vote in the leadership election- MPs (he put out tweets today calling on ppl to contact their Tory MPs and tell them to vote for RS)
5. RS’ approach has something in common with pretty much every effective political communications campaign of recent times - it prioritises key audiences over gatekeepers.
6. As a Labour supporter, i dont have skin in the Tory leadership contest, but it’s good someone who isnt alt right is operating effectively. The filtering of our political life through the dumbed down mainstream press has been a huge factor in why we are where we are now.
