The peculiar world of political merchandise

From Partygate birthday cards to Sir Keir Starmer flip flops, the world of political merchandise, or merch, is a strange place to be.

Selling T-shirts, mugs and other promotional items has been a reliable source of income for Britain's political parties for decades, and political merchandise has been keeping up with the recent sensational events in politics.

But the fluctuating fortunes of some of the UK's most famous faces in politics have inspired a host of entrepreneurs as well.

For political parties themselves, attacking rivals is a popular theme. The Conservative Party's official site is selling Sir Keir Starmer flip flops at £16.99 a pair, for instance.

The LGBT+ Conservatives group chair Luke Black said they are "a jokey tongue-in-cheek way" to poke fun at the "number of U-turns that Keir Starmer has taken on since becoming a leader" - something the Labour leader would hotly dispute, of course.

Over on the Labour Party site, activists can buy a £17.50 campaign leaflet laying out 13 years of "Conservative failure on crime", in the style of a police investigation board.

The LGBT+ Conservatives group have been particularly inventive in their fundraising efforts - at last year's Conservative party conference, the group gave out politically themed condoms.

Former chair Elena Rose Bunbury said the response was "very mixed" and they "got absolutely ripped to shreds online", but it achieved the goal of encouraging safe sex and increasing LGBT+ representation.

She said traditional merch such as "place mats and the mugs et cetera" catered to an older generation, and that standard political T-shirts were "lame" unless they were humorous ones.

But these days some of the most inventive - and popular - political products are not made or endorsed by the parties at all and don't raise any funds for them.

Creators on the site Etsy, an online market place for handmade goods, have been making huge sales from people looking to show their political support through unorthodox merch.

Eliza, the owner of Etsy shop StickersToTheMan, which has nearly three-thousand sales, said her motivation was challenging social and political injustices.

"By summer 2022, a variety of political issues were really frustrating me. The war in Ukraine, increasing evidence that Boris and his close allies had broken some of the lockdown laws which they made the rest of us follow, the difficulties being faced by the NHS, and general capitalist-driven problems which make life difficult for the average person.

"I became crafty during the Covid lockdowns as a way to cope, it helped my mental health to be making and designing things."

Eliza said her £3.30 letterbox sticker which reads 'NO TORY JUNK MAIL' sold so well in the run-up to the local elections in May that she could hardly keep up with demand.

Liz Truss, the UK's shortest-serving prime minister, was accused of supporting "trickle-down economics" which teaches that if rich people have more wealth, then everyone in the economy will benefit as the wealth filters down to all sections in society. This £4.45 card pokes fun at the controversial theory.

Sir Keir Starmer is the target of this £3.29 birthday card, poking fun at the Labour leader's straight-laced image.

Partygate is the gift that keeps on giving for Etsy sellers. Boris Johnson and his lockdown antics have been the inspiration for many party-themed items. This £3.55 birthday card pays homage to a now iconic phrase which was used to explain Mr Johnson's birthday party during lockdown.

Northern Ireland minister Conor Burns, told Channel 4 News that the gathering was not a "premeditated" party, and that Mr Johnson was working in the room before staff came in. "He was, in a sense, ambushed with a cake," he added.

Janet Grace, owner of Etsy shop ArtandGracedesigns, said on one occasion, a customer ordered a cheeky, Boris Johnson Partygate-themed card, with an instruction for it to be sent to a particular politician in Parliament, along with a message of support.

Janet didn't say which politician was the lucky recipient....

Mr Johnson's face features on many products, including this £8.95 mug, which Etsy seller TwistedPickleGifts describes as a "perfect gift for any occasion" - it is one of a series, which mostly features England footballers and other sporting stars.

Fans of Chris Whitty can now wear his beaming face on a T-shirt for £19.99 thanks to Robert Swain, owner of the Swazzdraws shop on Etsy. Professor Sir Chris Whitty is England's chief medical officer and was a frequent face on our TV screens during the pandemic. This 'Whitty' T shirt is one of many Chris Whitty-inspired goods recording sales online.

Whimsy is in short supply over at the Scottish National Party online merch store, although party supporters can take out their frustrations on a £5 penguin stress toy.

The Liberal Democrats do a line in fridge magnets and bottle openers featuring the party's MPs - and there is a selection of cuddly toys to choose from, including this rather cross-looking bear.

Last October, Home Secretary Suella Braverman branded environmental protesters "Guardian-reading, tofu-eating wokerati, dare I say the anti-growth coalition". This phrase birthed many memes and an awful lot of merch.

The phrase is emblazoned across T-shirts and mugs for people who want to proudly, and ironically, declare themselves a member of Ms Braverman's coalition. It even made it to Glastonbury in the form of an enormous festival-goers flag.

Phil, from the Wokeratiparty shop on Etsy - which is doing a brisk business in "official member of the tofu-eating Wokerati" badges - says his merchandise gives people a platform.

"It's crucial to recognise that we have both the right and the responsibility to express our opinions and hold politicians accountable."

And he says he hopes that through his merchandise he can provide a platform for people "to voice their dissent, raise awareness about pertinent issues, and even find humour in the political landscape."