Modern Politics as Punk Rock

It was the throwing of the milkshakes over politicians that gave me a sense of familiarity with what was happening.

The established parties (Conservative, Labour and Lib Dems)  are doing what they have always done in order to discredit the Brexit Party. The more they do it the more they expose how tired and staid their views have become. Even the MPs who are trying to be up to date are not hearing what their constituents are saying. They are too busy talking to the BBC, Sky, presenting a radio show or making a podcast. This reinforces the feeling that they are out of date and with no new tunes.

They have forgotten earlier rebellions when the same tactics gave the Sex Pistols a global following. We could draw comparisons between Johnny Rotten and Nigel Farage as being voices of rage and a catalyst for other bands. It gave new sounds and new voices to people who would have been heard under the old record label system. Look at the relationship between the Sex Pistols and EMI and the lack of understanding of the record label with what to do with the band.

Farage is attracting the same adoration and anger as Johnny Rotten. Whereas they spat at Rotten they throw milkshakes at Farage.

In the end, punk became mainstream but for a while, it energized people to write music, form bands and make their voices heard. This is also what has happened with the extinction rebellion group.

We have seen the establishment try and hi-jack Greta Thunberg to continue to look relevant and cool but instead, they show them themselves as shifty and untrustworthy.

The punk period and its aftermath produced bands of such variety as the Buzzcocks, Soft Cell, Dexys Midnight Runners and ABC, Human League, and Altered Images. Perhaps the Brexit Party is an early indicator of a new wave of politics as the Heavy Metal of the Conservatives and Labour and the Prog Rock of the Lib Dems becomes a niche enjoyment.