Political Marketing and Management in the 2024 UK General Election

Jan 02, 2026

Welcome to the latest in my series of reviews of books about the 2024 general election. I am reading them all so that you can pick which ones to look at.

If you’re the author or editor of a general election book, please do get in touch to ensure that I do not miss your own title.

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Political Marketing and Management in the 2024 UK Election, edited by Jennifer Lees-Marshment and Ioannis Zisis, is the latest in the well-established Palgrave Studies in Political Marketing and Management series. The series covers multiple countries and elections, with the 2015 UK election volume being my one foray into the series as a co-editor.

This volume continues the series style of focusing on political marketing theory, with a range of chapters mainly by academic experts. The way the 2024 election turned out, that chapter structure (presumably set before polling day) is a little awkward. It concentrates on Labour and the Conservatives, who not only each get a dedicated chapter but also two further chapters study just these two parties. Yet when it comes to political marketing, the markedly successful and different approaches of Nigel Farage and Ed Davey would have provided great case studies to dig into.

However, to its credit, despite its prompt appearance after the election (a year after polling day, lightning-fast by academic publishing standards) the book has aged well. Its emphasis on the limitations of Labour and Keir Starmer’s success at appealing to voters helps aptly explain what has happened since.

Overall, the emphasis is very much on academic theory. That makes the book a good introduction to a wide range of relevant theories and forms of categorisation. It takes the book away from insider gossip, which is both a strength and can also be a weakness (as in the reliance, for example, on what Labour’s website says about the role of the National Policy Forum in theory rather than what Labour insiders say about its role in reality).

However, the absence of quotes from (ex) special advisers instead makes space for an interesting piece on the problematic HR practices that lead to so many key people being apparently deeply unsuitable for their roles. That is a story told with some sympathy for the individuals, and makes for a more illuminating read than another collection of juicy quotes would be. Likewise the chapter on local government, which fits a little oddly with the rest of the book, but in itself presents useful data on some of the challenges councillors and staff face.

The emphasis on presenting theoretical frameworks also means there is little space often for presenting evidence to back up the assertions of the chapter authors. It makes the book a mix of theory, assertion and a sprinkling of facts which means this unlikely to be the best first or second book to read about the general election. But even if you have already read all the others, it still adds something new.

The Pack Mentions Index is, wisely, a resolute 0.

Get the book

You can get your own copy of Political Marketing and Management in the 2024 UK Election, edited by Jennifer Lees-Marshment and Ioannis Zisis, from:

Bookshop.org (works with independent bookshops)
Waterstones1
Amazon

Next up

The next book I cover will most likely be Britain Votes: The 2024 General Election, edited by Alistair Clark, Louise Thompson and Stuart Wilks-Heeg.

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