State of the Right #1: Reform shifts messaging on Iran
PLUS: Richard Tice's super-departmental ambitions
Good afternoon,
Around 18 months ago, we launched our weekly newsletter to give paid subscribers something in return for their generosity, and to give ourselves a way to comment on day-to-day events that might not merit an article in their own right but are nevertheless worth touching on. Part of the challenge with this model has been that the regular weekly format (combined with time and word limits) mean that in busy weeks, important things might be missed, and in slow weeks we nevertheless have to find something to talk about, even if it isn’t really worth doing so.
The second issue with the newsletter is that there are two, quite separate, types of stories worth covering on a day-to-day basis: general news and events in Britain and around the world on the one hand, and the continuing reformation of the British right on the other. Combining our commentary on the two in one newsletter has generally meant less space for the latter. This seems especially inopportune, given that these ‘internal’ developments are where we are perhaps best positioned to provide some exclusive insight.
As a result, we have decided to restructure our coverage, with a new weekly newsletter focused entirely on developments within the British right. As Reform continues to build out its party machine, develop policy, and prepare for government, we’ll cover these processes in depth — as well as the internal dynamics between different individuals and factions that shape them. We’ll also check in with the Conservative party from time to time as they drift gently into well-deserved obscurity, and of course cover the broader discussion and minor parties including Restore, Advance, Homeland, and so on — to the extent there are interesting and relevant developments there.
The old newsletter will also continue, with a renewed focus on current events outside of internal political debates. Rather than releasing a newsletter with three sections once a week, we will release shorter newsletters as and when events worth commenting on occur, giving us a little more flexibility. Overall, these changes will mean more content for paid subscribers, with that content being of higher value.
Today, in the first instalment of State of the Right, we cover Reform’s handling of the war in Iran, and check in with Richard Tice as he seeks to carve out his own sphere of influence in economic policy.
This newsletter’s agenda: Robert Jenrick saves Reform’s Iran war messaging; Richard Tice on manoeuvres after being snubbed for Shadow Chancellor role
