Shawn Griffiths
In the latest episode of the Forward Podcast, Forward Party Co-Founder Andrew Yang interviews Rory Stewart, whose multifaceted record includes almost becoming UK prime minister. He is the author of the best-selling book, "How Not to Be a Politician."
Yang and Stewart discuss several topics, including his book, his journey of public service, third-party influence and what the future of more parties looks like, and the impact of reforms to the democratic process. '
They also discuss how politics in both the UK and the US have become about falling in line with what a party wants -- toe the party line, or else. "Politics in the UK or the US or indeed anywhere else in the world -- democratic politics is intensely tribal," Stewart said.
"Fundamentally you begin by belonging to a team, almost like a sports team, and the fundamental question is about loyalty, showing loyalty to your team. It's not really about ideas. It's not really about policies."
It is a political reality US voters are all too familiar with as party politics is put above finding lasting solutions to benefit the American people. "If you start asking questions about policy you have people who will say 'no, no, no -- you have to fall in line."
Yang and Stewart discuss the impact third parties can have on this reality by building up their operations and forming a strategy of winning in uncontested races. But also, the impact election reform can have on this, including changing the incentive for lawmakers to actually care about policy and issues.
In this episode, Stewart comes off at times like a modern day de Tocqueville. Here is the episode's description:
"In this episode, Rory Stewart, former UK Secretary of State for International Development, shares a captivating account of his multifaceted career as a veteran, nonprofit leader, and President of GiveDirectly. Rory reflects on his latest book "How Not to Be a Politician," his near-ascension to becoming the British Prime Minister, and his role in creating the UK's most popular podcast. The conversation also explores the rise of a third major political party in the UK and draws insightful parallels to the work of the Forward Party in the U.S., offering a deep dive into the shifting dynamics of modern politics."
Watch the full conversation above.