The time for political psychology to offer its services has never been more pressing

'The time has come, the walrus said, to talk of many things…'  If you have been reflecting on times gone by, including your own memories of all or some of the last seventy years in politics that have coincided with the reign of Elizabeth II, then you will have recalled events ranging from economic instability to stability and back again, wars and peace, technology and extinctions, as well as ongoing battles for fairness.

It is not a huge leap of psychological insight to consider why the death of the Queen has resonated with so many, as bereavement and loss have affected most of us at some time – to see this played out with almost saturated media coverage, has made it challenging to feel otherwise, even if that may have suited personal preference. In fact, I began to wonder whether I had not done justice to my own late mum, but soon realised she would not have wanted the gun carriage and large crowds, rather the warm and close-knit gathering of family, friends and neighbours to share happy memories and to raise a toast.

Like so many women of her generation and subsequently, hers was a life in service to family as well as work, obstructed by lack of opportunity, world war and sex discrimination, yet by determination and good judgement she triumphed in promoting better lives. I realise I was the lucky one, but before you feel I risk becoming too self-indulgent, my point is about what we too often overlook – leadership in everyday life.

A personal style of leadership is something about which many have spoken in recent weeks – particularly focused on the Queen and her stated aim to serve. The Archbishop of Canterbury's funeral sermon underlined how rare it is to find 'loving service' among leaders and in what may have been intended as the most pointed of ways, he contrasted this with the desire of some to cling to power 'at any cost'.

Whatever our views of monarchy and of the late Queen, that capacity to put others first, or simply make the effort to value what others are offering, is indeed too rare a commodity in political leadership and contrasts with so much wrangling and conflict in our times.  However, the privilege of position cannot be ignored, nor should the potential to use this for good.

Perhaps there is a lot of luck in who we get as leaders – the coincidence of two Elizabeths in the leading constitutional roles of the UK, albeit briefly, suggests some random nature in selection – but we may do well to realise the importance of our own good fortune in having our own opportunities to promote values that benefit wider society, whether at home, work, in our communities or wider still. 

We are entering yet more times when the phrase 'good fortune' may have a hollow ring to it, but in harking back to the history of 1950s Britain when Elizabeth II became queen, once again we see rationing, poverty, the need for social progress and to rebuild. The principal actors may change, but the cyclical nature of human existence continues. The time for political psychology to offer its services, whether advancing understanding, highlighting issues, promoting positive discourse or sharing insights, has never been more pressing.

Editorial from the Political Psychology Section Autumn 2022 Bulletin