They're Running Their Comms From A Microbrewery

Apparently, (and I can't stress this apparently enough), this is Andy Burnham's logo for the Makerfield by-election.

It's not often I'm genuinely shocked. "Surely this must be a joke," I thought.

I like my music, but I'm not a huge fan of Northern Soul, so it's not something I'm overly familiar with. Still, I vaguely recognised the design the minute I saw it. A quick Google search, up it popped.

So it's not even a subtle reference. It's a full on, "We're leaning into this. This is what we're going with."

(As I type I keep returning to that apparently. It's been tweeted by a Times journalist, and now Beth Rigby. So it must be the logo - unless I'm having some kind of major mental health issue at the moment and this is all some surreal fever dream. Still, it just seems too much like a joke. Like a satire that wouldn't be all that funny if it was just satire. As if a comedian did a bit where he impersonated Andy Burnham and part of the character was that he was into Northern Soul 'cos he's northern. You'd say, "That doesn't really ring true. It's a bit too literal and over the top to be genuinely funny." So if this is really real it's not just beyond satire, but beyond bad satire. It's crazy. Surely this alone rules him out of being prime minister ..and I'm not even joking here.)

The shock and amusement aside, I can't help but think how appropriate it is as a symbol though. As I can easily imagine the type of mind that thought this was a good idea, and the type of people it appeals to. It smacks of trendy (but not dangerously cool) gentrified areas that pop up where government regeneration money has been invested. And Manchester is kind of the poster child for this. Though you'll find it in most big northern towns and cities to some degree - that area of the town centre that's had a taxpayer funded face lift and building spree. (Maybe it's the same in the south too, I don't know, but it's definitely up north.) 

It's trams, micropubs, little boutique pop-up markets; intersecting with local art grants and whatnot. Those types of people. Middle class people, but middle class people that need the government. They're not working class, they're not on benefits, but their job or trendy little local pub or record shop needs some kind of government or council subsidy. Either directly, or just indirectly as they swim in that semi-socialist aquarium. They might be a teacher, or have a partner that's a teacher. They really hate Farage. Their political opinions remain largely uninfluenced by either real life or the internet. They're the audience for Have I Got News For You and Channel 4 alternative comedy shows. They're the sort of people that read reviews. They like and trust things that come through expert filters.

They're also incredibly white. The whitest people you'll ever meet. And I'm saying this as I know how much they'll hate it being pointed out. They believe in diversity, but they don't really live it. Again, this is why the Northern Soul thing is beyond satire, as it actively reaches for connotations of that. Leaning in to this notion that they like black music. When they don't. They like Elbow and the Beta Band. I'm being mean, but I'm also being accurate.

I can totally imagine someone sat in some Manchester micropub thinking this logo is clever. It even has that graphic design cleanness, unlike the grubby original. No doubt printed by the printers that do other microbrewery artwork (apparently the logo's being printed on beermats). What I couldn't at first imagine was someone higher up in the Labour Party giving it the green light. However, seeing the tone of the retweets from Beth Rigby and so forth I'm now thinking they feel it has some earthy allure.

A lot of the replies on Twitter are also pointing out how communist it looks. Which adds another element of comedy. They've somehow managed to perfectly marry the aesthetics of Northern Soul and communism in one single image. I was thinking that Burnham, with his leftist rhetoric, might win back some of the Green Party voters that Labour have lost. However, this might all be a bit too dated for the greens. They're a bit too blue haired and modern to be swayed by Northern Soul.

Anyway, it's nearly 2:00 am in the morning, so I better call it a night. I felt I had to pen my thoughts on this one instantly. Perhaps I'll regret it in the morning.