Is rebranding wearing off?

Many feel disillusioned and are no longer impressed by Labour's slick spin and gloss.

The last general election was historical. Never before in Malta had a political party garnered a victory with a 36,000-vote margin. The Labour Party was under great pressure to win the elections. It had no choice. It was either do or die.

Losing once again would have been catastrophic for the party. It would have meant either closing shop or condemning the party to be unelectable. On the other hand, after years of Nationalist administration, the people wanted to experience change.

Many were reluctant to trust the old Labour Party and its way of doing politics. Many were still traumatised by the bad governance, cronyism, corruption and repressive tactics of old Labour. Certain Labour stalwarts were a constant reminder of the party’s darkest hours.

Upon assuming leadership, Joseph Muscat was determined to change all this. As a former media man, he knew very well that in politics perception counts. He wanted to change the negative image. What followed was a slick, expensive marketing campaign that gradually transformed the image of the Labour Party.

Labour updated its emblem. It replaced the boilers suits with elegant suits and blue ties. Stereotyped images of supporters made way for new, well-groomed, good-looking young faces. It did not stop there. The biggest challenge was in rebranding its policies and attitudes.

The party promised transparency, accountability and meritocracy as a way of good governance. It tapped successfully into the nation’s subconscious desires. Transparency, accountability and meritocracy are how we as a nation want politics to be. As a nation, we have a deep desire to see holders of office held responsible for their doings, govern in a transparent way and only promote those who merit rather than those who with connections. Back then, this was music to the ears of disgruntled Nationalists, tired of all that their party represented. What followed is history. Almost three years down the line, is this rebranding wearing off? Various indications point to the affirmative. Labour successfully rebranded its image, but it seems it failed to change its core. Change for the sake of change is no change.

The ever-growing list of scandals, stories of cronyism, clientelism, sleaze, pseudo-consultancies, hefty salaries or promotions to party loyalists, secret dealings, aggressiveness towards opponents, subtle or overt vindictiveness at workplaces, bad governance, accommodating certain shady characters and entrepreneurs, are making Labour’s true colours shine once again. The slick marketing rebranding is wearing off. The leopard never changes its spots. Is the old Labour back to haunt and traumatise us once more?

Although the Labour administration must be credited with a number of good initiatives, like continuing previous economic policies and tackling overdue social issues, many genuine labour supporters, genuine switchers and past disgruntled Nationalists are coming to realise that Labour won them over with gimmicks and sweet talk.

Many feel disillusioned and are no longer impressed by Labour’s slick spin and gloss. Many had truly hoped that Labour would change things. Now many are realising that nothing has changed except the actors. Labour is reading the same old script. Many feel cheated. Others are identifying with the real-life scenario in which on one side there is a salesman feeling proud that he successfully sold an inferior product, and on the other side, a consumer feeling angry at being cheated.

I am sure that in the next election, the Labour government will try to buy some lost love and use the power of incumbency to rally support. Fooled once, can I be fooled twice, Joe Public may ask? During house visits, people from the security and discretion of their homes are expressing disgust and disappointment. All promises of meritocracy, transparency and accountability are turning out to be hollow. Trying to justify the present mismanagement and abuses by harping on past mistakes is becoming boring. Trying to bring up the past to make the present look less bad is not convincing, in particular to those who were promised that Labour would usher in a new way of doing politics.

The latest to realise this dishonesty is Marlene Farrugia. She represents the voice of many disgruntled Labourites and genuine switchers. I always applaud those who have the courage to stand up and be counted. Farrugia is insisting that what the then Labour opposition used to strongly criticise is now being replayed by the incumbent government. She is demanding that Labour be consistent and walk the talk. The aggressive and cynical reactions from the Labour quarters, in particular, comments made by Joe Debono Grech, continue to show that Labour’s rebranding is wearing off quicker than we thought. Politics is more than spin and gloss.

(This article was published on Times of Malta – 17 December, 2015)