The team (who have a lot more experience than I!) have told me three months. They say that many documentaries are done in just 6 weeks -- but this one is a different scale given the sheer size of work needed (so many sub-topics that need quality capture - and simply tons of numbers to crunch).
With number of interviews, that is not yet determined. We have a big sprawling wish-list of interviewees, incl what topics we want from them, and how to reach them. That will probably evolve as interviewees can help us reach other interviewees, new topics/gaps pop up, etc. Usually you have 4-5 main "go to" people who can discuss the whole lot -- and then dozens of specialist /situation-specific interviews.
There are so very many layers to this. Q. how deep will you go? It should begin at the beginning to tell the story of how many years of practice, planning, & money went into it by leave mps
This was wargamed.
We were the enemy.
Dave could fit his strategy on the back of a fag packet.
Also, you have to remember that this documentary should also be for an international audience - many of whom will know very little about Brexit. So it cannot be some crash-course PhD -- it has to be a narrative that has tons of depth, but also is a good/ entertaining late night watch.
I imaging, however, there will be a ton of supplementary material arising from this that could also be made available - or lead to seperate investigations/ summaries.
I find it depressing that Labour have to deny the negative impact of Brexit in order to regain the Red Wall voters. Many of these have shown with their reasons for voting for Brexit that they don't share Labour's core values anyway....such as on human rights, the environment and yes, immigration. Labour should be targeting those centre and centre right people who might have a conscience, have some sense of society and care for our children's futures.
I think it's also possibly a case of Lqbour fighting the past war on Brexit given that views in the Red Wall have shifted just as they have in the rest of the country.
I'm not sure they're denying Brexit impact *because* they think that pleases Red Wall voters. I think they're denying Brexit impact because they don't want to get drawn into "so what are you going to do about it then?" - so they feel they have to say the problem is the govt implementation of Brexit whereas they can make it work. Simples. Govt screwed up but we can fix things within the parameters of what you asked for. That way they're not telling people they made the wrong choice - and they don't have to reopen a battle whether the Tories could say "aha - same old Labour as under Corbyn! - remember him? Still the same anti-democratic pro-EU Labour as 2019 when you voted against all of that!".
So, psychologically - it makes sense. For that demographic. But SOMEONE is going to have to start talking with that demographic about Brexit. Because when that demographic moves - Labour will. Not the other way round. So someone - outside of Labour - needs to be campaigning effectively in Red Wall switchers if you ever want to see Labour move on it.
Yup - I've been shocked how much I've forgotten! Some of the scandalous utterances from MPs back in 2015, 16, 17, 18 that I had completely forgotten about, or aspects of the crazy parliamentary wrangling --- or damage done to industries that I'd forgotten were hit too (eg aviation). And life stories of people impacted - that always gets you. It's all made me somewhat fearful that we miss things (hence my callout, which I will increasingly repeat going forward, that anyone with rare case studies, examples, data, etc email them to BrexitDoc@Bylines/TV for our "hive research")
It's also made me more convinced of the importance of this documentary. If we don't capture all this for posterity now -- every bit of the story -- put all the receipts on the table -- then many things could be forgotten about and no-one would be truly holding our politicians to account.
But HOW they talk about Brexit is going to be a long tortuous journey. Right now - they just want to embrace it, say they can work with it, fix up some bits of it, etc. Over time, they'll be kicked by their base into talking more about it.
The things stopping Labour talking about Brexit more at the moment as far as I can see are:
1) The Red Wall switchers. The Labour Leadership is currently obsessed with its traditional northern bases that went Tory in GE2019. They will do everything and anything to recapture them and lock them in for posterity. In doing so they kill off the Boris Johnson "realignment" that Tories needed in 2016-2019 -- and recapture the traditional Labour working class roots - so they cannot be challenged on that front again. Until they poll that demographic (or someone shows them polling from that demographic) showing that those people have turned against Brexit and want discussion of new European options -- Starmer does not want to touch that/ risk that.
2) No Lib Dem threat. In 2019, Labour got off the Brexit fence late.... really late. And they only did so when they saw their base leaving them and going Lib Dem (which made LD overconfident too). Then Labour switched overnight - in a panic. Emily Thornberry pulled out a blue dress with gold-stars-necklace and Keir Starmer headed a Peoples Vote march at Labour conference. In 2022, Lib Dems have utterly failed to capitalise on Tory collapse, incredibly. So that fear of loss of pro-EU voters just isn't there for Labour right now.
3) Starmer's own scars. I'm sure there are plenty of Labour MPs willing to discuss Brexit. They see the polls on the question. Starmer, however, is in a different place. He feels, I reckon, quite badly personally burned by the whole 2019 experience and does not want to go near that discussion again.
4) Fear of being drawn off topic. Labour needs to re-establish its credibility on new terms. They see Brexit as pulling people back to viewing them through 2019 dynamics. If they said they were pro-Single Market -- that what all the media would be asking them about. They want to set new roots down about how they would manage things on a purely domestic front.
Hi Mike, on a technical side, how long will it take you to make, how many interviews and so on?
Hi Adrian,
The team (who have a lot more experience than I!) have told me three months. They say that many documentaries are done in just 6 weeks -- but this one is a different scale given the sheer size of work needed (so many sub-topics that need quality capture - and simply tons of numbers to crunch).
With number of interviews, that is not yet determined. We have a big sprawling wish-list of interviewees, incl what topics we want from them, and how to reach them. That will probably evolve as interviewees can help us reach other interviewees, new topics/gaps pop up, etc. Usually you have 4-5 main "go to" people who can discuss the whole lot -- and then dozens of specialist /situation-specific interviews.
There are so very many layers to this. Q. how deep will you go? It should begin at the beginning to tell the story of how many years of practice, planning, & money went into it by leave mps
This was wargamed.
We were the enemy.
Dave could fit his strategy on the back of a fag packet.
As deep as 90 mins allows!
Also, you have to remember that this documentary should also be for an international audience - many of whom will know very little about Brexit. So it cannot be some crash-course PhD -- it has to be a narrative that has tons of depth, but also is a good/ entertaining late night watch.
I imaging, however, there will be a ton of supplementary material arising from this that could also be made available - or lead to seperate investigations/ summaries.
I think that's important to press.
The coordination with Trump / GOP TeaParty. BREXiT Trump Russia...same op.
I find it depressing that Labour have to deny the negative impact of Brexit in order to regain the Red Wall voters. Many of these have shown with their reasons for voting for Brexit that they don't share Labour's core values anyway....such as on human rights, the environment and yes, immigration. Labour should be targeting those centre and centre right people who might have a conscience, have some sense of society and care for our children's futures.
I think it's also possibly a case of Lqbour fighting the past war on Brexit given that views in the Red Wall have shifted just as they have in the rest of the country.
I'm not sure they're denying Brexit impact *because* they think that pleases Red Wall voters. I think they're denying Brexit impact because they don't want to get drawn into "so what are you going to do about it then?" - so they feel they have to say the problem is the govt implementation of Brexit whereas they can make it work. Simples. Govt screwed up but we can fix things within the parameters of what you asked for. That way they're not telling people they made the wrong choice - and they don't have to reopen a battle whether the Tories could say "aha - same old Labour as under Corbyn! - remember him? Still the same anti-democratic pro-EU Labour as 2019 when you voted against all of that!".
So, psychologically - it makes sense. For that demographic. But SOMEONE is going to have to start talking with that demographic about Brexit. Because when that demographic moves - Labour will. Not the other way round. So someone - outside of Labour - needs to be campaigning effectively in Red Wall switchers if you ever want to see Labour move on it.
Hi all -
For anyone wishing to ask me questions, I'm loitering in this comments section. :)
Hi Mike, has there been anything that has particularly shocked, or surprised you, in your research so far?
Yup - I've been shocked how much I've forgotten! Some of the scandalous utterances from MPs back in 2015, 16, 17, 18 that I had completely forgotten about, or aspects of the crazy parliamentary wrangling --- or damage done to industries that I'd forgotten were hit too (eg aviation). And life stories of people impacted - that always gets you. It's all made me somewhat fearful that we miss things (hence my callout, which I will increasingly repeat going forward, that anyone with rare case studies, examples, data, etc email them to BrexitDoc@Bylines/TV for our "hive research")
It's also made me more convinced of the importance of this documentary. If we don't capture all this for posterity now -- every bit of the story -- put all the receipts on the table -- then many things could be forgotten about and no-one would be truly holding our politicians to account.
Hi Mike
Do you think the Labour Party will ever talk about Brexit?
Yes, they'll have to.
But HOW they talk about Brexit is going to be a long tortuous journey. Right now - they just want to embrace it, say they can work with it, fix up some bits of it, etc. Over time, they'll be kicked by their base into talking more about it.
The things stopping Labour talking about Brexit more at the moment as far as I can see are:
1) The Red Wall switchers. The Labour Leadership is currently obsessed with its traditional northern bases that went Tory in GE2019. They will do everything and anything to recapture them and lock them in for posterity. In doing so they kill off the Boris Johnson "realignment" that Tories needed in 2016-2019 -- and recapture the traditional Labour working class roots - so they cannot be challenged on that front again. Until they poll that demographic (or someone shows them polling from that demographic) showing that those people have turned against Brexit and want discussion of new European options -- Starmer does not want to touch that/ risk that.
2) No Lib Dem threat. In 2019, Labour got off the Brexit fence late.... really late. And they only did so when they saw their base leaving them and going Lib Dem (which made LD overconfident too). Then Labour switched overnight - in a panic. Emily Thornberry pulled out a blue dress with gold-stars-necklace and Keir Starmer headed a Peoples Vote march at Labour conference. In 2022, Lib Dems have utterly failed to capitalise on Tory collapse, incredibly. So that fear of loss of pro-EU voters just isn't there for Labour right now.
3) Starmer's own scars. I'm sure there are plenty of Labour MPs willing to discuss Brexit. They see the polls on the question. Starmer, however, is in a different place. He feels, I reckon, quite badly personally burned by the whole 2019 experience and does not want to go near that discussion again.
4) Fear of being drawn off topic. Labour needs to re-establish its credibility on new terms. They see Brexit as pulling people back to viewing them through 2019 dynamics. If they said they were pro-Single Market -- that what all the media would be asking them about. They want to set new roots down about how they would manage things on a purely domestic front.