Why the next four years will define your legitimacy
As we filter the results of the recent elections in the UK, it's a good moment to reflect on what is happening to our country and the wider world.
Whether it's Nigel Farage here or Donald Trump in the USA – a very different way of governing is being demonstrated, showing the world what an interventionist state can do on an unprecedented scale in an unprecedented time span.
Given that you are reading this, I'm guessing that broadly you don't like much of what they’ve been saying or doing, whether that’s the immigration, attacks on Net-Zero, Ukraine, measures around diversity, equity and inclusion or much else.
Too often, we start by blaming others when the question we should ask amid this onslaught is: how did we get here? This is the critical stage before we can start to ask: how do we move on?
Post the Brexit referendum in the UK, much of the talk in progressive liberal circles was aimed at yes voters being duped by fake news or being daft enough to vote against their own self-interest. There certainly was and is fake news. But something deeper was going on, not just in terms of Brexit, or Trump, or the potential now of Prime Minister Nigel Farage – but across the western world in terms of politics and business about how we govern and decide, and the ethics and efficiency of running big and complex entities whether they are countries or companies.
As a card-carrying member of the Liberal Progressive Party, I think our first duty is to look at ourselves. How did we become so out of touch with the country that we failed to see more than half of our fellow citizens viewed Brexit as desirable – when we didn’t even think it was feasible? So many people have been left behind and looked down on, so that when they got the chance, they hit the emergency button.
Yes, it caused them economic harm, but they knew that too and still went ahead. Because it wasn't just about money – it was about being listened to and regarded. And it was about saying the world is changing too much, too quickly and while some might have been enjoying the upside of globalisation, others experienced only insecurity and rapid change beyond their control; neighbourhoods they no longer recognised and access to homes and services being squeezed.
There was a wider agenda here that relates to business (let's call it ‘wokeism’ as a shorthand that we all understand) that was pushed too far and too quickly. Yes, everyone should always be treated with dignity and respect, but too many felt alienated by pronouns and the LGBT++++ Names and acronyms and by overly self-righteous responses to the slightest whiff of political incorrectness.
Not everyone who backs Trump or Farage is a racist bigot. Instead, many are simply insecure, frustrated and alienated. Resentment is a powerful emotion, and millions in our country have something to be resentful about. There is always a grain of truth in your opponent's argument. If you don't concede it, it's likely to be the thing that gets you.
But while we need to consider our own assumptions, thoughts and behaviours, we shouldn't join in with those using the Trump moment to drop any commitment to social decency and environmental necessity. Done in a respectful and compassionate way, everyone should be treated with dignity and be allowed to make their own personal and identity choices. Meanwhile, the planet still needs to be saved from climate chaos and money still needs to be found to pay our entry fee into a civilised society – not least to defend it against those who don't share our civility and commitment to democracy.
Navigating this tricky path between woke purism and Trumpist disdain for people and planet is going to have to be the game for at least the next four years. If we don't get it right, then it will be a lot longer.
At Jericho, we work with leaders who are navigating precisely these kinds of fault lines – between public expectation, strategic intent and social legitimacy. We help create the space to listen, learn and evolve; turning complex realities into credible strategies; purpose into trust; and building resilient and agile alliances around common good issues that overlap the worlds of business, politics and civil society.
Our clients are the ones asking: How do we lead when the ground is shifting beneath us? We help them answer – not with noise or spin, but with clarity, coalition, and action.
If you’re grappling with how your organisation shows up – on purpose, on public accountability, on trust – let’s talk.
This work is difficult, but you don’t have to do it alone.
Neal Lawson
Partner, Jericho
[From the May 2025 Jericho Newsletter]