Why does David Blunkett think today's politicians give up too easily?

On The Rest Is Politics, David Blunkett told Alastair Campbell that he sees an ephemeral politics in which people quit very easily, shaped by the social media era. He called it a two-way street: how politicians treat each other and how they are treated decides whether they can stick it out. He wants a reset, with politicians setting a better example, so that people with empathy and values keep going through setbacks and mistakes instead of only the thick-skinned surviving.

• Blunkett called himself useless at social media but said a young blind politician today could manage it with good staff, as long as they spoke on the politician's behalf.
• Blunkett agreed to use Campbell's word perseverance in Parliament and promised to make a note of it.

▸In their words

“I see people give up very easily.” David Blunkett · at 10:07 — open in the transcript →

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on The Rest Is Politics (2026-10-31). Read the whole episode summary →

▸More from this episode