The U-Turner Prize: When Politicians Backtrack

Why do we see so many political u-turns? What makes politicians turn 180 – and why are some so against it? After Liz Truss’s budget flip flop laid waste to the Thatcher comparison she dreamed of, Ros Taylor talks to Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University, about why we see such drastic changes of course in modern politics.

• “U-turns are more likely because voters are now less tribal.”
• “Journalists make a great deal of U-turns, mainly because they facilitate them.”
• “Boris Johnson could make lots of U-turns because he didn’t believe in anything except himself.”

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Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Producers: Jacob Archbold, Jelena Sofronijevic. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Audio production by Jade Bailey. Music: Kenny Dickinson. Group editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.

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