From kinda cute to OK Boomer: Our hot takes on UK political parties’ TikToks ahead of the general election
Election season is well and truly upon us, and it’s clear that in 2024, the general public isn’t looking to the tabloids or broadsheets to weigh up their political decision. Instead, they’re turning to the almighty queen of social media, TikTok. Politicians and political parties across the globe have been attempting to utilise the video-sharing app to garner votes for quite some time now. And with the UK general election, due to take place on 4 July 2024, it’s no surprise that Labour and the Tories are making desperate attempts to ‘slay the house down pussy boots’ their way into Gen Z’s hearts.
To help you separate the cringe from the somewhat creative, I’ve taken it upon myself to conduct a deep dive into the TikTok pages of the Conservatives, Labour, the Green Party, and Reform UK. Let’s delve into exactly what these groups consider to be ‘TikTok-worthy content’.
Conservatives
Now, as to be expected, the Tories’ TikTok page is absolutely brimming with awkward and heavily scripted content. The account has just over 57,000 followers and is currently sitting at 545,000 likes. The first video that was posted on the page was of Rishi Sunak addressing the controversial concept of re-introducing national service:
@ukconservatives This will change lives #nationalservice #generalelection #uk #rishisunak
♬ original sound - Conservatives
I’d like to point out that just because you use a pop-up or two does not mean that young people will automatically trust your judgment.
The rest of the Tories’ content mainly consists of awkward anti-Labour memes set to the soundtrack of a trending TikTok audio and videos of the UK Prime Minister trying his absolute best to come across as relatable and down to earth.
@ukconservatives Labour’s biggest policy announcement was a stolen logo. #ukpolitics #generalelection #labour #uk
♬ original sound - Conservatives
@ukconservatives NEW: Labour’s plan explained #generalelection #ukpolitics #labour #uk
♬ original sound - Conservatives
To say that Sunak thought he absolutely ate with his parody explainer video would be no understatement. I think if this whole politics thing doesn’t work out for him, I’d be surprised if we didn’t see Sunak on the comedy circuit this time next year.
Labour
Labour’s social media tells a pretty different story, mainly because the party is doing everything in its power to try and emphasise that they are well and truly ‘down with the kids’. The account does have a much more impressive following, with 189,000 followers and over 4.4 million likes.
With Labour, I think it’s fair to say that while there are aspects of the account that feel more authentic, there’s a reliance on memes and trends that are giving ‘OK Boomer’ energy. We get it, you want to really hone in on the idea that Labour is far more tailored towards the youth of the UK, but there comes a point where it just feels like you’re feeding us whatever you think is trending at the moment.
@uklabour it’s time for change #generalelection #ukelection #ukpolitics #toriesout #votelabour
♬ original sound - UKLabour
@uklabour If the Tories don’t think Rishi Sunak’s plan is working - why should you? #generalelection #ukelection #ukpolitics #britishpolitics #rishisunak
♬ original sound - UKLabour
@uklabour Rishi is well and truly out of ideas #generalelection #ukelection #toriesout #ukpolitics
♬ original sound - UKLabour
I won’t lie though, there are some Sunak memes that are kind of funny:
@uklabour confused maths rishi #UKelection #UKPolitics #generalelection #rishisunak
♬ original sound - UKLabour
Reform UK
Next up, we have Reform UK, a party so unpleasant that I’m desperately hoping the 160,000 followers and 1.5 million likes on its TikTok account are all originating from individuals hate-watching the content.
Surely there aren’t people out there who watch a montage video of Nigel Farage and think ‘Wow, what a cool guy’? It’s beyond fair to say that this year’s political candidates are serious slim pickings.
@reformparty_uk A BOLD party with BOLD leadership. That's what Britain needs and that's why support for Reform UK continues to grow! If you'd like to support our campaign, you can donate here ➡️ https://reformparty.uk/donate Thank you. See you on the campaign trail! #BritainNeedsReform #ReformUK
♬ original sound - Reform UK
Reform UK does get incredibly high engagement rates on their videos. My personal theory is that this has a lot to do with the TikTok algorithm, which frequently caters to conservative and right-wing audiences, ensuring that the kind of anti-immigration and sexist rhetoric within Reform always ends up on the FYP.
Green Party
And lastly, we have the Green Party. With the ever-aspirational slogan “Real hope. Real change,” the Green Party’s TikTok page has just over 38,000 followers and 497,000 likes.
I would say that for the most part, the Green Party has perhaps the most ‘mature’ TikTok page out of everybody. It focuses on the facts and the politics at hand, and only throws in a poop emoji once in a blue moon:
@thegreenparty 📺 "People are looking for some change and they're looking for some hope. That's what the Green Party are very good at" 🎙️Jenny Jones on the Green Party’s election prospects.
♬ original sound - The Green Party
@thegreenparty 💚 Vote Green today to make where you live fairer and greener. #GreenPolitics #UKPolitics #LocalElections
♬ original sound - The Green Party
Although they will chuck in a cheeky meme here and there:
@thegreenparty 🥱 Well, that was... dull! The ITV Leaders Debate consisted of the two old parties attacking each other while offering nothing new or inspiring for a whole hour. Neither of them have anything to offer voters on the cost of living crisis, the housing crisis, climate breakdown or the NHS. While Starmer and Sunak each try to out-Tory each other, people are suffering everyday as a result of 14 years of austerity and neglect. Both Labour and the Conservatives will hold the door open for yet further privatisation of our precious NHS and both continue to demonise migrants rather than presenting genuine solutions to the problems we face. Only the Green Party has a plan to protect our NHS, end the housing and cost of living crises, tackle climate breakdown and close the inequality gap. 💚 Only the Green Party is offering real hope and real change. #UKPolitics #UKGovernment #GeneralElection #RishiSunak #KeirStarmer #GreenPolitics
♬ original sound - The Green Party
The thing is though, it’s not enough. Engagement-wise, the Green Party is massively slacking—even the comments section has been noticed. One user wrote under a recent video: “Guys, please hire a Gen Z social media manager just for the next few weeks. Look at how much engagement the red and blues are getting on TikTok.”
The facts are important, but this is still TikTok. Finding ways to keep audiences engaged with your content is absolutely critical.
