TikTok is experiencing a surge in videos revisiting the intense rivalry between Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, drawing in teenagers who were not even born during the New Labour era. The trend, which has been dubbed a 'psychodrama' by users, features montages set to current pop hits and has attracted a cult following among young political fans.
Popular videos include clips from Andrew Rawnsley's book The End of the Party and archival footage of Blair and Brown, set to songs by artists such as Charli xcx and Chappell Roan. One 18-year-old creator, Ellen, who runs the account @politicsprincess, said she became 'completely fascinated and obsessed' with the figures, adding that the edits allow her to combine her interests in video archives and pop culture.
Charlie, another creator focused on New Labour, said she was engrossed by the 'Blair-Brown-Mandelson-Campbell psychodrama', referencing strategists Peter Mandelson and Alastair Campbell. Her posts have garnered over one million likes, and she noted that a 'slight nostalgia' for New Labour is common in the community.
Dr Lucy Bennett, a media lecturer at Cardiff University, said the trend shows how 'political messaging is being increasingly processed through fan remix culture'. Many creators are aged 17 to 21 and are often A-level politics students, introduced to the era through documentaries or classroom footage.
The phenomenon extends beyond TikTok, with political figures taking note. Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart, hosts of The Rest Is Politics podcast, have played TikTok edits of themselves during live shows. Campbell described the spoofs as 'broadly affectionate' and said they help 'ventilate support for the 'disagree agreeably' approach' the podcast promotes.
