How Rachel Reeves can sell her Budget
Whatever the difficulties facing the Chancellor this week, there’s one thing that could still make things worse…
Too often, when faced with difficult decisions, politicians reach for ‘TINA’: declaring ‘There Is No Alternative’.
However enticing, the Chancellor should avoid falling into this trap.
There are only a limited number of circumstances in which ‘There Is No Alternative’ is really true. ”
‘TINA’ needs to be true
‘TINA’ works only when it truly captures the zeitgeist – when there’s a broad consensus there are genuinely no other options.
But most of the time people are highly resistant to being told ‘there is no choice’.
Decades of research into Psychological Reactance shows that people are more likely to support something when agency is emphasised over inevitability – and they’re more likely to resist when autonomy feels constrained.
People want options, or at least the appearance of options
Think about it:
Would you be more likely to buy a house if an estate agent showed you a single property and declared “I’ve looked into it and this is the one – now sign here,” or would you be more inclined to make the purchase if they presented you with options, comparing the pros and cons against your requirements and allowing you to reach your own conclusion?
Even when faced with an unpalatable decision – such as undergoing potentially risky surgery – most people would prefer their doctor explains how the recommendation was reached and what alternatives were considered.
So, the Chancellor should resist the temptation of presenting every unpalatable measure as due to forces beyond her control.
“Difficult backdrop” may set the context, but it should not be relied on as an explanation for making difficult decisions.
‘It could be worse’ cannot serve as a strategy
Simply lowering expectations in the hope people think “it could’ve been worse” doesn’t constitute a strategy.
Instead, governments should frame their choices: the principles and values on which they’re based, and the outcomes they seek to achieve. Then contrast these with the alternatives.
That’s why, in recent months, the Chancellor has adapted her language: from “We had no alternative” last November, to “These are my choices” at July’s Spending Review.
Ultimately, “There Is No Alternative” tends to fail is because it is not fundamentally about differentiation. And differentiation drives choice.
