Are we ready for Brexit to kill off the remaining vestiges of the two-party system?

Instead of voting for their preferred party, voters could take a more American approach and encourage candidate-centred campaigning

As SEO editor at The Independent, the last few nights have allowed me some insight into Brexit and British politics.

On Tuesday evening, before the meaningful vote on Theresa May’s Brexit deal, the internet was crackling with tension and the aftermath full of angry reaction from across the spectrum.

Wednesday evening, in the run-up to the no confidence vote, there was some of the best (and worst) oratory of recent years in the face of the potential collapse of a government.

Both were foregone conclusions. We all knew May’s Brexit deal would be defeated by a large margin and that her government would survive Corbyn’s no confidence vote.

Surely this double A-side of Westminster political drama would hold the same level of interest for British voters?

However, the night of the meaningful vote captured exponentially more online interest.

Like many MPs, the British public seem to have lost partisan interest in the fortunes of their preferred main parties in favour of the Brexit outcome closest to their heart.

This potential revelation could cause major issues for the Conservative and Labour parties when the next general election comes around.

As Brexit is the biggest crisis this country has faced in decades, these heavily divided parties must figure out how to offer an image of unity and differentiate themselves from their main rivals.

It’s possible that single-issue politics, in the form of Brexit, will kill off the remaining vestiges of the long-held two-party system.

Instead of voting for their preferred party, voters could take a more American approach and encourage candidate-centred campaigning.

Similarly, they might ignore party manifestos in favour of studying candidates’ stances on certain issues from immigration to fracking to EU relations.

Would this be a positive change or not? Only time will tell.

Yours,

Matt Payton

SEO editor