So what does the future look like now? | Anywhere but Westminster

On a non-stop road and rail trip, John Harris and John Domokos go from Rishi Sunak's well to-do seat in Yorkshire via County Durham and Lanarkshire to arrive amidst the new-town community spirit of Milton Keynes on election day. Everywhere people are holding places together: will a victorious Labour party soak up those vibes?
Subscribe to The Guardian on KZbin ► bit.ly/subscrib...
The Guardian publishes independent journalism, made possible by supporters. Contribute to The Guardian today ► bit.ly/3biVfwh
Sign up to the Guardian's free new daily newsletter, First Edition ► theguardian.com...
Website ► www.theguardia...
Facebook ► / theguardian
Twitter ► / guardian
Instagram ► / guardian
The Guardian on KZbin:
Guardian News ► bit.ly/guardia...
Guardian Australia ► bit.ly/guardia...
Guardian Football ► bit.ly/gdnfoot...
Guardian Sport ► bit.ly/gdnspor...
Guardian Live ► bit.ly/guardia...
#anywherebutwestminster #politics #generalelection #labour #ukelection

[@ramatgan1]

Please don't stop this series. We need more of this.

[@prenticebaines3161]

Need some more around Scotland

[@kaze987]

Excellent question. Not "who did you vote for" but "what was in your mind when you voted" . Fantastic

[@mikecooper2566]

What was in my mind was "lets get this done so I can across the road and get a Monster".

[@malthus101]

the utter destruction of Britain due to immigration.

[@moskari26]

I appreciate Harris's way to do interviews; very humane with cheeky jokes of self-irony that'll get average people to open up about politics, which other interviewers often do it too formally.

[@JVSwailesBoudicca]

He's brilliant. Trouble is, he will stop when there is no elections !

[@diskopartizan0850]

Yeah he's great, love his columns too.

[@JVSwailesBoudicca]

@@diskopartizan0850 Yes - I agree, its about the only column I still read.

[@alst4817]

@@diskopartizan0850I love this series but his columns are rather dull

[@jonathangardner3192]

This is a truly remarkable series.

[@spicyempanadas2738]

Even as an American, I can appreciate how you approach election coverage: not with a focus on the candidate, but on the people who are vote. I'm glad after 14 years the British may have a chance to turn things around. I'm not optimistic our chances over hear, but I hope you all wish us luck.

[@diskopartizan0850]

I think most Brits who are aware of US politics hope for a day there is a fair bit of healing over there and would certainly wish you all the best.

[@maxthelab8457]

Nothing will improve under Labour other than they will charm anyone on benefits. Working folk are doomed.

[@csharpe5787]

@@maxthelab8457 same old clichés they always turn up do you ever think before you type type?

[@maxthelab8457]

@@csharpe5787 Touched a nerve?? Just because you know you're on to a winner being on benefits.

[@spacechannelfiver]

@@maxthelab8457 I'm well off, educated, private health care etc. Voted Labour (and frankly almost always have). Thatcher much as I dislike what she tried to do at least had some principles; cant say the same about the last Tory government. Don't get me started on Farage.

[@ronanhaughey1196]

Donna. What a absolute gem

[@redlightmax]

17:21 The cynics are belittling Labour's election results, but Donna has renewed hope - I call that a win.

[@kida6460]

I love the girl at 1:40 ... she's so pure we must protect her at all costs

[@flabby2142]

weird thing to say "pure"

[@LamentedSun]

As in pure rather than miserable apathetic or jaded

[@sae447]

Yes! I hope she fulfils her wish to enter the medical profession.

[@burntlands]

These "Anywhere but Westminster" reports/documentaries are just so great. The tone, the questions, the conversations, the people, and the places. Earnest and interesting.

[@FilippoBelacchi]

I totally agree

[@HolyMoleDude]

This has been the most valuable journalistic series in the UK since before the referendum. Exceptional work.

[@r8chlletters]

Please keep your finger on this pulse and ask the people in the streets and the alleys and the food pantries how they are doing. It’s so incredibly important.

[@martynrobinson7200]

Thanks, John, for being the journalist you are. There’s no one else doing this kind of thing. We all sit, horrified, watching the Westminster soap opera and you, as far as I know, are the only journalists getting out to find how policy, or lack of, affects ordinary people’s lives in your poignant, often heartbreaking films of hope and despair. Thank you.

[@prometheus23c]

Thank you for featuring so many decent people who have no time for silly culture wars and just want to live in a better society.

[@ricardocima]

You have no time or you agree with wokeism and sees any response against it as "silly"?

[@PassiveAgressive319]

To that poor man who’s on an interest only mortgage, using a food bank but thinks Farage cares about him? Unfortunately he’s mistaken. Farage is only concerned about Farage

[@tynebar]

Always gets me, I just don't understand it.

[@TheStarBlack]

People are thick and gullible. Same reason Labour voters think they've just voted in a left of centre government. This lot are ideologically joined to the tories at the brain. I'll be there in 5 years telling you I told you so from day one of Starmer's Labour leadership. See you then.

[@j.harrison6744]

If Farage was only concerned about Farage, he wouldn't be in politics, he would've stayed in the more profitable trading and commodities.

[@Deedumdee]

@@j.harrison6744 Yeah, he's only like 80-90% self-interested con-man, the rest is xenophobia and bigotry.

[@RankinMsP]

​@@j.harrison6744 He obviously wasn't making enough ot getting the platform to spread his hatred and lies.

[@SandraSamen]

I love the life lesson at the end: "Unless politics is about life, and the ordinary and the everyday, it doesn't mean much"

[@francesrice3317]

That is the sentiment so desperately needed here in America! When I got to the end of the video it was so powerful!!!!

[@20storiesunder]

There will still be a huge need for programs like these. There is so much work to do

[@heathercooper6043]

Oh getting in with the excuses quick I see

[@conorbangham323]

Please keep this series going. Credit to the whole team.

[@Vhasemzini]

Apparently Nigel understands what's like to live in a town with five food banks.

[@kaze987]

Of course he does!!

[@AaronOkeanos]

Only people with a Coutts Bank account really knows how hard life can be. ^^

[@chrysalis4126]

shows how gullible people are, see a photo of him in a pub with a pint in hand and think that makes him working class.

[@j.harrison6744]

You could apply that snarky logic to most of the Labour front bench.

[@robertstraw9881]

His brand of economics has put the food banks there. He loved the Truss budget.

[@jhwheuer]

Nigel really did a number on some folks.

[@aremedyfrosty]

What is it you like about starmer who is worth 8 million and has to go around the country telling people his father was a tool maker?

[@ucey-mi2wr]

@@aremedyfrosty both bad, but farage is an obvious grifter trying to divide the working class with hate. 'its not the tories corruption and incompetence that made yo

[@therealrobertbirchall]

Nigel destroyed the British state.

[@Boghopper9999]

​​@@aremedyfrostymost of the £8m is based on a valuation on the field he bought for his mother's donkey sanctuary and it's based on value if it was developed (which it is not; it's a donkey sanctuary!)

[@jamesholt4449]

​@aremedyfrosty he was a lawyer that took stand against the worst of people. He understands the problems and has more in common to average person that farage or conservative members

[@D_isco_D_ancer]

What a lovely woman the one who wants to be a doctor.

[@CH1LDOFTHEMOON]

Proud, that as a lifetime tory voter, I voted Labour just to see the tory's gone. Partygate and PPE corruption did it for me!

[@sluglife9785]

We thank you for your service to the nation.

[@Joe-sz8xn]

Thank you ❤

[@tobiastrier]

Well done.

[@breefolf]

sorry but you guys are completely delusional if you think labour will be any better

[@MrMmnngghh]

Better late than never! Congrats

[@tomfowler5581]

That was a beautiful ending

[@Pau1danelli]

I’ve been watching this series and following Jon for years now and it never fails to make me greatful for the teams work.

[@adscri]

There has been a return to the Victorian era where charitable institutions were the only ones to offer help - or else it was the workhouse. During the video an interviewee said this very thing. The post-election expectations are high, but radical change seems to be called for. Only time will tell.

[@RoofLight00]

The problem is that after 15 years and successive Tory governments the country is broke. And they’ve left us to clean up their mess again, we never learn. We need to pay more taxes to help. I’m happy to do that if it means the money will go to help others like this rather than in garage’s pocket or tory pockets or bankers pockets.

[@alicequayle4625]

Need to make sure that spending does directly on services not on big biz siphoning off a profit. Large companies are taking over lots of nhs.

[@tonychorley4936]

For the people in Rishi’s constituency who voted him in again, please remember that he was filmed boasting about moving money from poor areas to wealthy ones. He bought votes from wealthy , or at least comfortably off people who cared for no one else.

[@FilippoBelacchi]

I'm Italian and I've always loved the AbW series. Seeing food banks everywhere is excruciating, and and the same time puzzling. Britain is a very very very rich country, how can it be that is so iniquous and why people are still so scared of socialism, What do they have to lose?

[@j.harrison6744]

Britain is not a rich country. London is rich, and is attached to a third world country called Britain.

[@germansnowman]

We don’t need socialism (I grew up under it), but we do need what Germany calls “social market economy”.

[@RandoStaRR]

Incredibly true

[@blazzz13]

@@germansnowman Which socialist government did you grow up under, given the Tories have been in power for 80 of the last 123 years?

[@germansnowman]

@@blazzz13 I grew up in East Germany behind the Iron Curtain.

[@ccan_max5285]

Please continue doing these they’re important

[@sluglife9785]

Lots of lovely unrecognised folk about. Especially our strong British middle-aged women. Keep it up, you wonderful people.

[@airliebird58]

I hope you continue to do these pieces. They really are an insight. Thank you.

[@grantbeerling4396]

This is Cameron's big society. Meanwhile, real wealth runs off with unpaid taxes. This has to change.

[@AaronOkeanos]

What is the point of not voting? Noone ever knows. The only one who is punished by this is yourself because others decide for you. Which is ironically the point you give for not voting.

[@TheStarBlack]

Because voting lends credibility to the rotting hollow corpse we're told is democracy. If you're happy to choose from the 3 or 4 flavours the establishment allow you to consider (3 of which are essentially the same thing) then go ahead, enjoy yourself playing at democracy. But if you're one of the minority who doesn't get their political opinions direct from other people or the media....then there is absolutely zero point engaging with this sham. It's an act, a smokescreen. It gives you the impression of having agency and power when in reality whoever you vote for, nothing is allowed to change in any meaningful way.

[@justgeneric2876]

A greek philosopher once said those who do not vote have no right to complain about what they get as they voluntarily gave up the right to decide their fate.

[@DANCEGARAGEPUNK]

@@albert7311 Nonsense ! A non vote is a vote to be controlled ! : )

[@NeverRubARhubarb]

It would also be reasonable to ask what is the point of voting for a candidate who has no chance of winning in a two horse race. Hundreds of thousands of people went out on the 4th July and voted Green or Lib Dem or one of the obscure smaller parties and got nothing for it. In the first-past-the-post system their votes were irrelevant. I'm talking about the races where these parties were pulling about 5-10% of the vote share. In these circumstances it's entirely understandable to conclude that a single person's vote is never going to move the needle far enough to affect real change.

[@adb8411]

I didn’t have any photo ID

[@viriato219]

I absolutely love this duo. I absolutely love how you talk to people, how you reflect on the matter and try go a wee step beyond to really grasp their daily live. The camera work and editing its superb, capturing the emotions of those who speak. Keep it up!

[@linedwell]

Go back to all those places in 18months, see what's changed, see what's improved, see what's worse.

[@erertertert44]

Will be largely the same

[@mci6830]

There will be at least another million more people in the country.

[@EdLeslie-h4w]

As always....... BRILLIANT WORK...... Well done guys.

[@joemountain655]

Donna. What a legend

[@AaronOkeanos]

Thank you for giving us again a window in Britains real life. I'm looking forward for you and your team showing if and how things change now under Labour.

[@thetwohundred5213]

Excellent reporting. Why am I crying?

[@jmudikun]

Thank you for your excellent video. It broke my heart to see how people suffer and gave me hope to see people come together

[@poneill65]

You blighter John,... Why did you have to release this video with people like Donna at exactly the same moment as my summer eye allergies kicked in!!

[@anniemack4282]

Such beautiful people. Such shocking neglect. Your films show both really humanely. It doesn't have to be like this.

[@jmudikun]

The old man at the food bank idolizing Farage 😂, now that takes the cake 😂

[@nubie1100]

Over populating a country breaks economy's, more immigrant= more food banks 🤷‍♂️

[@FrancisBarton]

These films always break me. They just make me weep. Thanks John and John.

[@paulgilliland2992]

My son is a British citizen although he grew up in Los Angeles. Here recently traveled to England and was there was for a month before going to Europe . He said England was grim and miserable but the people were amazing.

[@methanedirigible]

It’s not all bad. Free healthcare, negligible guncrime. We’ve been hard hit economically, but in a world that’s drifting towards populism and far-right hatred, we’ve just election a centre left Labour Party. As in 1939, we stand alone as the last hope of tolerance and decency.

[@lewissparkes]

You can say the same about most of Northern Europe

[@Kayla-lh5we]

If England is grim it's because the people are making it that way

[@jablot5054]

Obviously he only went to inner city areas. Britain has some of the most beautiful countryside anywhere in the world. The people are a very mixed bunch from all over the world .

[@methanedirigible]

@@jablot5054 The people from the countryside are pretty homogenous though. Inner cities are far far more mixed.

[@thecanticleofcrom4787]

Australia is also replacing communities with property developers wet dreams, seaside towns being denuded so they can waltz in and build concrete boxes, isolating people and destroying the social wage; bonuses that are multiples of the average wage. While middle managers are scraping their lucre from once public assets. The ambitions of people who don't know how to work with their hands, who are craving portfolios and projecting their laziness into a service industry humiliation for the populace as the do not know anything about the means of production.

[@WS_UK]

Thank you again John & John.

[@sapienproductions]

Very few media outlets are doing this work well. We used to have decent local newspapers and media to keep politicians accountable. Now they know they have a much easier time from the national focused media. Keep up the excellent work.

[@hephaestion12]

About half of your videos make me cry. They remind me of all there is to love about britain and all there is to fix. Some of the highest quality journalism in the world and its basically just voxpops! 😂

[@Zulualfadelta]

Great series, I always look forward to the Anywhere but Westminster videos.

[@lucym5163]

Another great video. Hope you carry on with this series well after the election.

[@alx_b]

The best political reporting team anywhere in the world. Just brilliant every episode, compassion at the heart of every story. This feels like the end of a chapter, I look forward to seeing how they cover the coming change in the UK and how it succeeds - and fails - and what difference a new kind of politics can have.

[@BeccaAl]

Thank you to the people featured. Anywhere but Westminster! Seeing people’s humanity is so important. I do really hope things start to get better because it’s not fair so many people are struggling in different ways, they have no support.

[@tomsharman3136]

Anywhere but Westminster, what a great quote.

[@arilebon]

Wonderful series.

[@RS-B5ZV]

This is important documentary on UK and should be viewed by thousands

[@adamblair3135]

The lack of passion for Labour, is truly staggering. Remember what it was like to be a supporter in 2017? How much hope there was… How little there is now…

[@elaineclift2227]

We need a change of electorate!

[@doghat1619]

@@elaineclift2227 Labour simply needs to put forward policies that make people genuinely excited again. Keir's labour stands for very little, except for "not being the tories". They're so afraid of losing the election they were handed, that they didn't promise anything major.

[@tobiastrier]

What is hope worth if you never win?

[@EdwardLindon]

The hope was confined to a concentrated few. More importantly, they didn't take power. So what was the point?

[@EdwardLindon]

@@doghat1619 This is not true. There was no point in putting forward policies so that they could be picked apart while Labour were in opposition or during the campaign. The win was always a highly likely outcome. Now the new government can get on with its mission with a certain degree of flexibility and situational sensitivity, rather than being chained to a weighty and fine-grained manifesto. And as it turned out, "not being the Tories" was a massive vote-winner.

[@mj8325]

Community spirit has gone no pubs youth centers to mix and help each other 15-20 year ago you could go in your local and pick up some work if you were down in your luck

[@ciobalina7445]

I don't understand why though. How did that happen?

[@alicequayle4625]

This is a brilliant approach. Well done. Seeing what most of the uk is really like.

[@LeMonsieurBanane]

Thatcher said, 'there is no such thing as society'. How skilled the Tories have been at making this a reality.

[@JVSwailesBoudicca]

Another cracking video, but too much sadness and hardship to be seen Lets hope it will diminish in the next year or so. Thank you.

[@heathercooper6043]

Well that's what it's supposed to show you isn't it

[@JVSwailesBoudicca]

@@heathercooper6043 🙄🤐

[@tonychorley4936]

Love this series, real journalism , not just about the metropolitan lot.

[@JerryDreadlocks]

Been watching you guys do your thing for so many years :) Keep it up!

[@davidmunnery6668]

Made me cry again…

[@jims_bot133]

You're doing gods work John. Thanks for these videos.

[@IanPattersonMU]

Old bloke who cant afford to pay his mortgage & feed himself without going to a foodbank thinks the multi millionaire eton educated former conservative member Nigel Farage understands what its like to be on his situation. Some people really are beyond any form of logic & whats worse is that they will come to realise that they have been had ( like brexit ) far to late to even help themselves.

[@OK-hl6qd]

Some people are just straight up hateful

[@susanrobson5878]

That chap is also unaware of the fact that Farage has been spending a lot of time in America supporting his pal Trump.

[@katejacobs5491]

I love this series, always feel pleased when I see that John Harris has posted. Just noticed that I’ve missed some of the recent posts. Goodee! I would have no idea what was happening without these. Quite brilliant, and essential viewing.

[@MixologistMilo]

Great coverage chaps

[@rllymarlon4886]

Thanks this was very touching to see!

[@AaronOkeanos]

Milton Keynes ... do they still have these delivery robots? It was one of the strangest stories in this series.

[@SuezWSuezW]

Great series, guys! Some very interesting and sobering stories.

[@BIJOU167]

Sad I missed you, love this series. Rugeley is a very friendly town

[@shiftysquiff5807]

You clearly do not remember the mess Labour made last time. Labour and the torys need to be competely scrapped.

[@petrihadtosignupforthis8158]

Mate, I really want you go around that weird island and just talk to happy people telling you about meaningless non-issues, about how there is too much noise from that arts centre that opened over there after foodbank closed... one can hope.

[@archerversuslight]

If labour balls this up, we are in for a world of hurt beyond this

[@aremedyfrosty]

You must be new to politics if you think anything is ever going to improve 😂

[@user-ln9jw5yo4e]

They will

[@carwynj.thomas5057]

You should come to Gateshead. There’s some great people up here. They deserve to be seen x.

[@samsam21amb]

I really loved Ed Davey’s campaign & manifesto and he did great. I wish he got more seats and formed an opposition or even a coalition government with Labour.

[@peterfromgw4615]

Well done with your reports. It’s appalling that so many people have to struggle to just exist in an alleged first world country like the UK. I’ll be visiting there in late August/early September, the first time since prior to COVID, and I’m expecting to see a very different UK, post pandemic, post Brexit. We here in Australia complain about our politicians however I suspect they are nowhere near as appalling as those in Westminister. Grüße aus Australien. Tschüss.

[@eleanorclub]

What wonderful reporting/listening/relationship-building. J&J -styled journalism for the win👏🏾

[@catherinemira75]

Brilliant series of videos. 💯🥰👏🙏

[@LosAlamos4]

Brilliant journalism! 👏

[@normanchristie4524]

A great program John & Co.

[@ruffey1748]

4:46, what a class moment, excellent reporting!

[@SkintLivingUK]

I just hope things get better for everyone, the rich need to let everyone else live with dignity

[@Avengerie]

It would have been interesting if someone made a compilation of these street interviews going back 30 years with people saying “we need change” and the country gradually getting worse and worse. Managed decline and the rise of the rest. You can’t stop it.

[@erertertert44]

I don't think people understand how much aging demographics, interest payments on national debt and finacial inequality are destroying our economy. Yet none of those things have been mentioned this election

[@brianglobe1]

Do not stop doing this the new government must be held to account and this helps so much

[@ciobalina7445]

Well, it's not the new gorvernment that is responsible for this, is it?

[@matsudaseiko]

AT LONG LAST 14 YEARS OF GRIEF ! YES !.......WEEP 🙂

[@robertboar9514]

Congrats to John and everyone involved in these videos - some of the best political coverage I've seen

[@Herocoldfinger]

Wait, being racist doesn't stop the hunger?😮

[@yorib5321]

Why don’t his ‘kin’ care enough so he does not have to go to a food bank?

[@jamesholt4449]

​@@albert7311what does that even mean.

[@RogerHyam]

The English Labour manifesto does not mention food banks at all. If you scan the Conservative manifesto for "food" it reads identically to the Labour one. The Scottish Labour manifesto says "Labour is committed to reviewing Universal Credit so that it makes work pay and tackles poverty. We want to end mass dependence on emergency food parcels, which is a moral scar on our society." In other words they promise a REVIEW but do not commit to DO anything about it. Welcome back to New Labour spin for those who remember it. The SNP actually promised to do something: "Legislate for an essentials guarantee ensuring that everyone can afford basic necessities like food and utilities." But they lost! I don't suppose anyone read an actual manifesto. Let's hope I'm a cynical old git and there will be fewer food banks in a couple of years under Labour. I'm not holding my breath though.

[@ubiktd4064]

The future looks like BlackRock

[@MacrobianNomad]

Anywhere But Westminster is honestly the most consistent series showing real people and their lives being impacted by those shouting in Westminster!

[@MattThomas-dq6fj]

I just hope we see some positive change from Labour as I'm afraid Reform may take the county hostage within the next couple of elections.

[@Senna_Folo]

Please keep going, Would be interesting to see how people feel in a few years, hopefully things can get better now the torys have left.

[@ommanipadmehung3014]

Hopefully people won't forget in 5-15 years time how the country was pushed off a cliff by the conservatives.

[@mci6830]

Like they have forgotten about Swiss Tony nue labour tenure.

[@D_isco_D_ancer]

Always interesting these Anywhere but...

[@jameseden9380]

Amazing, thank you

[@RandallSlick]

These films never fail to impress and occasionally inspire. Top work. But please, floating rather than swing voter.

[@aukebij3193]

Don't forget, Brexit isn't done yet, there are hundreds of postponed things still on the table, almost all of which will take effect from 2025 onwards. Euro clearing alone will cost the UK almost ninety billion per year, according to calculations. By leaving the EU, the UK has become as poor as a church rat

[@stephenbrown4211]

The future looks dire

[@Plumduff3303]

Fantastic journalism here's to a postitive change in people's lives from this day forth.

[@citizenA-Z]

beautiful film

[@commonwunder]

Population of the UK ( including children ) Sixty-six million. ( Adults around forty million ) Labour voting turnout yesterday : nine million people. *Jeremy Corbyn turnout 2017 : twelve million, eight hundred thousand.

[@Coops5361]

Aye & 40% vote share in 2017.

[@diskopartizan0850]

And nowhere near power.

[@J-wm4go]

Labour had a great policy platform, with a leader who (unfairly) was unelectable. If Starmer provides some policies of the Corbyn type, people are given something to vote FOR, rather than against.

[@revol148]

@commonwunder and there are also MP's arriving at the house of commons representing constituencies some of whom barely 49% of the voters turned out to vote for anyone let alone the sitting MP.

[@moif_velocita]

This is the best British political channel there is. It shows the hard truth for the marginalised people of the world's richest failed state