In a time where global news cycles seem to be never-ending, domestic politics seems to be taking a backseat

23 Sep 25

If the UK’s political middle ground continues to be ignored by the media, we risk the public seeing a heavily skewed picture of the political landscape, reducing space for more nuanced debate and fuelling cynicism.

With US politics dominating UK headlines, domestic news has been struggling to compete for airtime.

Did you know that the Liberal Democrat Party Conference has just drawn to a close? Did you realise Gatwick Airport’s second runway just got approved? Our third largest political party’s annual conference and a pivotal moment for our economy.

The coverage is there if you look for it – but has been largely drowned out by political chaos from across the Atlantic.

So why has the British press turned its gaze to the west, and what does this say about our political and media culture?

American politics has always had a certain gravitational pull, but in recent years, it has turned into a form of political entertainment. The polarised climate, outsized personalities, and media-savvy politicians have turned governance into theatre – and our media outlets are more than happy to play along. President Trump’s high drama politics has proven to be irresistible content for the press, with few able to guess what will happen next on any given day.

But there is another – more cynical – reason the UK public could be tuning out of our own political scene and into someone else’s.

We have seen relentless political upheaval in recent years; from Brexit to multiple Conservative leadership changes and now turbulence in the Labour Party. Voters are disillusioned and increasingly disconnecting from the national picture, while American politics continues to offer a more compelling, dramatic narrative.

Coverage decisions are increasingly driven by analytics and audience behaviour, especially online. The stories generating the most clicks and engagement for UK audiences will inevitably get more prominent placement. It’s a commercial calculation as much as a journalistic one.

That said, the media’s role is not only to reflect interest, but to help shape it. The Lib Dems may not be polling at the top, but their emerging policies, focusing on issues like electoral reform, climate action and NHS funding, speak to current concerns among the electorate. I would argue that the press has a journalistic duty to ensure fair coverage. To ensure a fully functioning democracy, we need an engaged public – and as we know from carrying out representative consultations, people can only be engaged if they are informed.

The Liberal Democrat conference may not make for gripping drama, but it represents a key piece of the UK’s political puzzle that deserves more attention than it’s been given.

The Party revised their view on climate policy, scrapping their ambitious 2045 Net Zero target and bringing it down to 2050 – a realisation of economic realities. Conference took aim at Labour on the Online Safety Act, voting to fully review it, while a long battle within the Party was seemingly settled as Conference agreed to strengthen trans rights.

But aside from the policy points, perhaps the key takeaway was the different approach the party is taking in respect of Reform. Instead of accepting Reform’s key criticisms on immigration as Starmer seemingly has (with increasingly strong rhetoric on stopping the boats), Davey is taking a more forthright approach. At Conference he made the progressive argument against Reform, warning of the dangers of ‘Farage’s Britain’ and refusing to give an inch of ground to the party’s key challenges.