What’s What in Politics in 2023

written by Jean Lancaster

It’s pretty understandable that we switch off from the world of politics sometimes. It can certainly feel exhausting and 2022 was a particularly tumultuous year. Will 2023 be calmer, steadier, and altogether more ordinary? Entering the year with the same leaders, problems, and frustrations as last year, that is something yet to be seen. But that uncertainty doesn’t mean we can’t be sure of what’s what in politics for the new year and I hope this short guide helps with that.

Who’s at the helm?

Starting off with the basics, who is in charge? So, firstly, Rishi Sunak: he’s the leader of The Conservative Party and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. This is a fact that is (finally!) unlikely to change.

Moving on to the opposition there is the Labour Party, led by Sir Kier Starmer. This party is currently ahead according to most opinion polls (research reflecting public opinion and the popularity of political parties) but a general election is seen as very unlikely to happen as there is still a clear majority made up of the Conservatives that would prevent an election until at least 2024.

But these are not the only parties in the House of Commons. Others include the Green Party led by Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay, the Liberal Democrats lead by Sir Ed Davey, and the Scottish National Party lead by Nicola Sturgeon and represented by Stephen Flynn in the House of Commons.

What are the Issues at Hand?

You don’t need to look far to see many of the most pressing issues in Britain right now. A key challenge is the economy. The cost-of-living crisis will impact every household and is definitely one of the main items being debated in politics. What is the cost-of-living crisis? Put plainly, everything has increased in price, and this is having a hard-hitting effect on people’s lives as it makes living normally unaffordable. The rise in the cost-of-living is due to inflation and while economists believe that at some point in 2023 the inflation rate will gradually start to fall, the extent of this and whether life will be returned to normal remains to be seen. Another acrimonious debate is over strikes. Many sectors, including postal workers, teachers and border staff are striking over pay as many hold the view that pay should increase to keep in line with inflation. The rail trade unions are in a bitter dispute with rail companies over job security, pensions, pay, and terms and conditions changes. The unions believe that rail workers should receive a pay rise of at least 7% to be in keeping with inflation which is at just over 9%. Meanwhile in the NHS, there is a similar debate over pay, as well as overall patient safety and staffing levels, amongst ambulance staff and nurses. Strikes certainly had a huge impact on the Christmas celebrations during December last year, and the future for strike action in 2023 remains unpromising. Finally, it would be impossible to talk about what the new year holds without mentioning the war in Ukraine. Though taking place many hundreds of miles away, the conflict is having a big impact on British politics from debates over military support to managing refugee schemes, and of course the effect on energy. The forecast varies from expert to expert and is another unknown that we carry across from 2022 to 2023.

The Prognosis?

Who knows what will happen this year? There does seem to be a thousand pots of political questions and issues simmering away, ready to explode at any moment to add to the mess Britain is desperately trying to mop up. Though I’m sure many politicians wish it, there is no mystical oracle that can predict the future so while political analysists, economists, and field experts have an idea of what is to come, what will truly play out is something that we will just have to wait and see. Whatever happens, it will certainly be an interesting year in politics.