Alex Cann Column - 25/06/26 - Turning Down The Political Temperature

Ten years on from the Brexit referendum, and we are about to see our seventh Prime Minister since 2016. To put this into context, there were seven Prime Ministers between 1974 and 2016, and we've managed to go through the same number in the last decade. Truly astounding.

The decision by David Cameron to hold a referendum to silence his critics a decade ago was a gamble that he well and truly lost, and the country now feels ungovernable. Social media has poured petrol on the flames of division, views are entrenched, and the political narrative has become extremely toxic on all sides. It's incredibly bleak to read the misogynistic and hateful comments under any story about the new Green MP for Denton and Gorton, Hannah Spencer. For the record, I think she made an excellent point about MPs drinking before voting on child poverty in the Commons. The same goes for Ashton MP and former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, who seems to attract an inordinate amount of opprobrium, much of it from people writing under fake names. They might even be bots, who knows.

Whilst political 'messiah' Andy Burnham seems to be nailed on as our next Prime Minister, I feel that we need to lower the temperature of political discussions. And for that matter, we need to lower the actual temperature, as I'm definitely not built for this "heat dome" weather we've been experiencing this week. It's fine when you're by a swimming pool, with an all-inclusive bar nearby, but not when you're trying to go about your daily business.

Back to politics, and I await the list of Brexit benefits that we were promised back in 2016. People are struggling to afford everyday items, those who work hard don't feel that it pays off, and filling up the car is still far more expensive than it was before Trump launched his questionable war on Iran. I don't have the answers, but I would like to hear some calm debates about issues that affect people's lives without things descending into insults on social media. Perhaps it's adults who need to have their screen time restricted, rather than children.

Meanwhile, if you've been reading this column for any length of time, you'll know I love a good survey, and according to research from USwitch, the doorbell appears to be falling out of favour, with a third of Gen Z Brits texting or calling when they arrive at someone's door, rather than ringing the bell. The top five habits that Brits have quietly abandoned are...

1: Never use a chequebook (47%). My mate Kevin paid for a curry in 2024 by cheque, just because cash and cheque were the only options, and it got me thinking about the last time I wrote a cheque. It has to have been well before the pandemic.

2: Avoid calls from unknown numbers (41%). For the record, I never answer my phone to a number I don't have saved. Even if it's someone I know, the chances are 50:50 at best, unless the chat has been arranged in advance.

3: No longer use a landline (38%). I'm old enough to remember queueing up to use the payphones at university to call home. No distractions from social media when I was studying politics and communication studies at the University of Liverpool! Not sure what my excuse was for writing so many essays the night before the deadline.

4: Don't buy DVDs or CDs (37%). I kept renting DVDs by post until relatively recently. People don't believe me when I point out that's how Netflix started! I spent so much money on CD singles, it's ridiculous. If you would like any of Atomic Kitten's back catalogue, I'm your man. There has been a resurgence in vinyl sales in recent years, but I fear CDs' days might be numbered. If you walk into a branch of HMV, it seems that strange noodle pots, imported sweets, games consoles and soft toys are displayed more prominently. Changing times, I guess.

5: Don't read print newspapers or magazines (32%). I'll always be a newspaper devotee, and it's been a privilege to contribute words to this title since autumn 2020. There's nothing quite like a pot of Yorkshire Tea and a print paper, although the online edition is very good on a tablet. However you read us, thank you for doing so, and keep supporting local media at every opportunity. The world would be a less colourful place without it.