Today’s Politicians

A look at Today’s Politicians through pen portraits of key figures

A politician was visiting a small impoverished nation, hoping to win support. He asked the president what he could do to help his country.
President: “Just three things, sir. Building a reservoir would mean all my people could have fresh clean water.”
The politician immediately picks up his phone, calls his staff back home, and arranges for a team to be sent.
Politician: “Consider it done.”
President: “We have no hospitals or clinics in my country.”
Again, the politician dials his staff, orders the construction of a hospital, and smiles.
Politician: “Consider it done. What’s your third request?”
President: “We would like a phone connection with the outside world.”

The politician pauses, pockets his phone, and realises he’s ben caught out. He hadn’t been making phone calls at all.

Do readers think today’s politicians can be trusted?

Is the above comic conversation a reality? Has the voting public lost confidence in the political class? Do electors believe that today’s politicians will ever keep to the promises made during their election campaigns?

Sir Kier Starmer

The most unpopular UK Prime Minister in living memory, Starmer gained power on the back of the public’s revolt against the austerity of the previous Conservative administration and their false claims that leaving the European Union would save money.

A civil rights lawyer and former Director of Public Prosecutions (for which he was automatically knighted), Starmer supported leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum campaign. He supports Ukraine against Putin’s continued military aggression, and supports Israel’s right to defend itself despite its attacks on Gaza and its building of illegal settlements (Starmer’s wife is Jewish).

He won the 2024 election for Labour with a 174 seat majority but with just 34% of the national vote. The result was seen more as a defeat for the Tory government and its 14 years of austerity and cuts in living standards than a win for Labour. Starmer’s popularity rating was 5% in 2024; it dropped to -30% in January 2025 and is now at -45%.

Independent opinion polls show his policies on ending Winter Fuel payments for over 10 million pensioners, releasing violent prisoners to stop prison overcrowding, (some are illegal immigrants convicted of rape of young white girls), and a failure to stop illegals arriving across the English Channel in small boats, are the reasons for his unpopularity and calls for a General Election.

https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Kier_Starmer

Angela Rayner

Born 1980. Trades Unionist. MP since 2025. Deputy PM from July 2024 until her resignation in September 2025 following her failure to pay stamp duty on her property, thus breaking the ministerial code.

Rayner criticised Jeremy Corbyn commenting publicly, “he doesn’t command the respect of the (Labour) party.” She said, again publicly, that the police should “shoot your terrorists and ask questions afterwards”.

She criticises Israel over their human rights abuses against Palestine. The International Criminal Court similarly accuses Israel of creating illegal settlements in Gaza.

Rayner is pro-European Union but would vote against re=joining unless an agreement was reached which protected jobs and the economy.

She was widely condemned for spending taxpayer money while party-going in Ibiza at a time when ordinary folk could not afford to visit pubs or entertainment venues. The video went viral, claiming she is a champagne socialist.

https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Rayner

Jeremy Corbyn

74 year-old Corbyn, who in 2019 won his seat for Labour with a 64% majority, was expelled from the Labour party on 24 May 2024. He set up a new party called Your Party, which he will lead against Starmer. This will undoubtedly split the Labour vote and not be helpful to Starmer.

The Jewish Labour Movement said “the party had become an unsafe place for Jews under Mr. Corbyn.”
Kier Starmer claimed “he would tear antisemitism out of our party by the roots.”

Jeremy Corbyn is anti-fascist and anti-apartheid. He advocates a united Ireland–Northern Ireland being returned to the Republic of Ireland (Eire) and a united single-state Palestine.

His aim was to re-nationalise public utilities, particularly the railways. He supported Remain in the Brexit debate.


https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Corbyn

Nigel Farage

Farage was the elected member for South East England (MEP) in the European parliament from 1999 until the UK left the Union in 2020. He is the leader of Reform UK (previously called the Brexit party).

Always a Eurosceptic, his continual criticism of Teresa May’s delayed implementation of Brexit resulted in her resignation. Boris Johnson then took over with his populist “Get Brexit Done” motto but left the problem of trade barriers between Northern Ireland (which is part of the UK) and the Republic of Ireland (which remained in the EU) unresolved.

Johnson misled voters over his claim that leaving the EU would result in the NHS gaining 350 million a week. As we were no longer in the EU, there would never be such a gain.

There are 5 MPs sitting in parliament for Reform UK: Nigel Farage, Lee Anderson, Danny Kruger, Richard Tice, and Sarah Pochin. Laila Cummingham is not an MP but will be standing in the upcoming London mayoral elections and is likely to be successful.

Former MP for Reform UK, Rupert Lowe, had the whip withdrawn in March 2025 and now stands as an independent MP, and leader of the party Restore Britain. He had been accused of bullying colleagues. Elon Musk, who wants Farage out and Lowe in, defended Rupert Lowe in those accusations and continues to support him.

There does seem to be some internal jealous rivalry between the two men, both of whom have very strong egos and may be vying for power in a leadership bid. Having two strong and popular candidates standing for basically the same Reform principles in the General Election, whenever it comes, can only split the vote and stop the Reform movement from taking hold.

https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigel_Farage

https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert_Lowe

https://en-wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_Kingdom_local_elections

President Trump

Born in 1946, Donald Trump has a degree in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania. His wealth originated from his family’s real estate portfolio. His ambition is always to win at whatever he does. Trump has been made bankrupt several times but keeps going on.

He is famous for his doctrines of Make America Great Again (MAGA) and America First. Donald Trump introduced punitive tariffs on imports and exports believing that those taxes on goods and services resulted in cash inflows into the US treasury. They do nothing of the sort of course. These extra costs are paid for by consumers.

In the short term, tariffs protect American industry, commerce and jobs; in the longer term, the higher costs on consumers increase everyone’s cost of living and reduce the growth needed for stimulating the economy.

Trump has been found guilty of sexual abuse and the falsification of business accounts. The first US president to have been convicted of a felony.

He regards NATO as obsolete and is keen to deport illegal immigrants.

https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump

President Putin

A former KGB intelligence officer, Vladimir Putin is a law graduate, and speaks fluent German. He has read the works of Karl Marx and Lenin, and retains strong links with China and communism. Re-gaining the Russian empire is his clear goal. He does not want countries on his borders to be in the NATO alliance.

He regards Ukraine as legitimate Russian territory, as he did with Crimea. While continuing his attacks on the Ukraine, Putin wants peace under his terms.

https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Putin

Conclusion

Today’s politicians are seen as woke, untrustworthy, and failing to keep to the manifesto promises they made when seeking election.

In the UK, voter apathy saw many people not bothering to vote, leading to the election in 2024 of a Labour government under Starmer with a 174 seat majority but, crucially, with just 34% of the vote. The electorate were punishing the Tories for their 14 years of austerity and welfare cuts; rather than positively electing a Labour government.

Boris Johnson misled the public with his claim that leaving the EU would release 350 million a week to fund improvements in the NHS. That figure was never justified. Neither he, nor any politician since, has succeeded in “stopping the boats” and halting the illegal immigration that is pushing up hospital costs while UK residents still wait in month-long queues.

The government and police are not dealing with the rape and grooming gangs, which are significantly run by illegal immigrants arriving by boat, for fear of being dubbed racist.

Farage , and his new party Reform UK, has only 5 MPs in parliament. He has little chance of holding the government to account. But, he’s consistently gaining support in the independent polls.

In local council elections, Farage has control of 12 councils and 942 seats. More council seats will be contested on 7 May 2026 at the end of their term of office. Polls predict a Reform UK landslide.

Angela Rayner, no longer in Starmer’s cabinet, is still influential on the left wing of the party and a favourite of the Trades Unions. She could well make a come-back

About Me

Matt Owens Rees is a seasoned travel writer and social/cultural anthropologist who has lived in Thailand for over 18 years. His writing aims to make Thai culture and lifestyle more accessible than some of the more academic texts—without sacrificing the depth needed to truly understand how this country and its people tick.

He writes from personal experience and from conversations with Thais across a wide spectrum of backgrounds and social classes. To bring cultural insights to life, Matt often compares Thai norms with those of Western countries, using humour and analogy to clarify subtle points. The result is a rich, nuanced portrait of the real Thailand.

Why I’ve Left Medium

I’ve decided to step away from publishing on Medium. The platform’s recent changes—especially its tiered visibility model—no longer align with my values of transparency, trust, and reader-first writing. From now on, all new content will be published here, where I retain full control over tone, access, and integrity. Thanks for reading—and for supporting independent voices.

My Mission and Writing Philosophy

To understand Thailand—and to integrate more meaningfully with Thai people and their culture—it’s important to observe and listen, rather than doing all the talking. After all, we were given two eyes and two ears, but only one mouth.

I’ve developed a “focus group” of Thai contacts from diverse walks of life: from poor farmers and construction workers to office staff, shopkeepers, bankers, and successful business owners. The group also includes members of the so-called hi-so elite, as well as military and police officers.

Because Thais are often cautious about expressing views in front of their peers, many of these conversations happen one-to-one. The group took time to build—but it’s paying dividends.

Collaboration with Carol Hollinger

Although our writing styles differ, my books reflect some of the observations found in Mai Pen Rai Means Never Mind—in my view, the best introductory book on Thais and Thailand. Written by Carol Hollinger in 1965, its insights remain strikingly relevant today.

Sadly, Hollinger passed away at just 45, before she could see her best-selling book in print. I also lost the opportunity to collaborate with her on a new book exploring the concept of Face in Thai society.

Get in Touch

You can email me at MattOwensRees@proton.me
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© Matt Owens Rees

Conclusion