The year of the political brand reset >

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The political ground is shifting in the UK. And after a volatile few years in British politics, the May local elections now look set to redraw the map.

Power, influence and identity are all in flux, as both established and challenger parties fight for the narrative, for relevance and, ultimately, for votes.

In what will likely become an increasingly emotional and even tribal contest, brand strength will be the decisive weapon. And right now, many political brands are struggling with clarity.

Which makes 2026 a fascinating year for political brand resets.

Because at the heart of every successful reset, political or commercial, sits a simple truth. If you don’t have absolute clarity on who you are and what you stand for, how can you possibly expect anyone else to buy into you?

Labour

It’s the challenge Labour is currently facing. A party desperate to reset the country, but arguably still in the process of defining itself.

After years in opposition, Labour’s challenge isn’t really policy. It’s identity. What does the party stand for now, in human terms? Who is it for? What is its big overarching message and mission for the country?

It seems Labour’s poor polling and approval ratings are linked to people’s inability to answer these fundamental questions.

From a brand strength perspective, it’s a far cry from 1997 and New Labour, perhaps one of the greatest political brand resets. New Labour wasn’t just a policy shift; it was a wholesale redefinition of identity. Modern. Optimistic. Forward-looking. Clear about the future it wanted to build, and clear about what it was leaving behind.

Sir Tony Blair’s New Labour was successful because it gave people something to believe in. But through the last general election, with the Conservatives already beaten, Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour failed to build strong brand foundations. It played it safe to ensure victory, rather than define exactly what it stood for.

The Conservatives

The Conservatives, meanwhile, are deep into a self-inflicted and non-voluntary reset.

After 14 years in power, brand fatigue is inevitable. But the party's problem isn’t just broken promises or leadership churn, it’s a loss of a coherent brand story. So many messages. So many moving pieces. But no real clarity about what the party now stands for.

And when a brand lacks clarity, it loses authority.

David Cameron’s “Green Tories” moment perhaps shows what’s possible for Kemi Badenoch. A political brand evolution that tapped into culture, not just its core voters. Whether people agreed with it or not, it was clear. It modernised the Tory brand by articulating a version of conservatism that at the time felt relevant, contemporary and forward-looking.

But today’s Conservative Party challenge feels far bigger. Partly because into all the country’s political uncertainty steps the aptly named Reform. A party currently hoovering up headlines, attention and airtime, as well as Tory defectors.

Reform

From a brand perspective, Reform’s momentum isn’t accidental. Nigel Farage’s message is simple, direct and disruptive. The classic challenger brand. It knows who its against, and it says it loudly. And its clarity has cut through.

But clarity alone doesn’t equal credibility. And disruption isn’t the same as direction. Bigger challenges over policy and trust will come soon, and the big question of whether Reform is offering a genuine and achievable reset for the UK, or simply giving a voice to frustration.

Plus, with more expected defections from the Conservatives, how will the "Tory-fication" of Reform affect its political-outsider, challenger-brand image?

Brands built purely on opposition can burn very hot. But they can also burn out fast.

The rest

Elsewhere, the political landscape is fragmenting further. A new left-wing party seeking relevance. The Greens evolving from a purely environmental brand to a potential power broker. And the fact I haven’t mentioned the Liberal Democrats perhaps indicates that the party might actually be the political brand most in need of a reset.

2026 will be a defining moment for political brands. A test of which parties truly understand themselves, and why they exist. And which leaders are prepared to define a direction and accept that not everyone will follow. Collisions exist within every party, and indeed every organisation, but successful brands can unite these factions through a brand truth, and an agreed mission to rally behind.

Because, ultimately, every successful brand reset comes down to clarity. If you don’t know who you are and what you stand for, why should anyone else believe in you? Or follow you?

In politics, as in business, the brands that win aren’t the ones that say the most.
They’re the ones that know exactly who they are, understand their audience, and make it easy for people to believe in them.

Written by Jamie Williams