The group discussed the future, the structural challenges it beholds and ‘optimism in action’ at a panel discussion in Cardiff.
People need to become more engaged in efforts against growing challenges like right-wing populism, according to a prominent political art and activism group.
Led by Donkeys, represented by members Oliver Knowles and James Sadri, attended the event at the Temple of Peace in Cardiff on Monday. They promoted their new book which provides a detailed look at their campaigns from 2019 till 2024.
During the Q&A session, Knowles talked about what the future holds for Britain. “We face some really difficult challenges ahead, and we will have to fight,” he said. “We are going to have to become more engaged… Become more active citizens.
“There are structural issues we need to engage with, and governments are not addressing them adequately. Climate change. Populism. The desperate need to regenerate and renew our democracies. It’s not happening anywhere near fast enough. There are challenges that require us all to step up and do a lot more.”
Led by Donkeys is known for its satirical campaigns aimed at holding influential figures accountable for political and social issues. They emerged in 2019 after a night of what Knowles called “doom scrolling through Twitter”.
“We were in despair at the state of the country and the inability of not just the Brexit leadership to identify what Brexit meant, but the entire political class,” he said. “We suddenly came across David Cameron’s infamous tweet and thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be a crime if he ever deleted that tweet?’. We thought of turning the tweet into a billboard, and that’s how Led by Donkeys started.”
The David Cameron billboard, along with subsequent billboards quoting Farage, Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg, garnered national attention in 2019. The group went on to create various other campaigns.
In 2023, Led by Donkeys branded a yacht owned by Michelle Mone, docked south of Barcelona, as the ‘pandemic profiteer’. “The story of Michelle Mone was already out about her huge fraud of 200 million pounds from the taxpayer’s purse,” Knowles said. “A significant chunk of this cash then got used to buy herself a luxury yacht.
“The story hadn’t gotten to a huge audience, so we decided to make a film which told the story and built action around the yacht. We were very lucky to know some people who are very good at finding boats in obscure places. We called them, and the search began for ‘The Lady M’. It was found two days later, and a plan was hatched.”
In November, the members lowered a banner displaying a giant lettuce and the words “I crashed the economy” behind Liz Truss at an event in Suffolk to promote her book. The former prime minister, who lasted 45 days in office, called the prank “not funny”.
Knowles and Sadri feel optimistic despite looming challenges. “There is something very rewarding and empowering about activism,” said Knowles. “There is optimism in action. So, to some extent, yes, we do.
“There was never a plan to build up Led by Donkeys this way. It kind of just happened, and it captures the people’s energy. There is some sense of optimism in this. If you can bring 200 people to a room on Monday night who want to hear about politics and how we are fighting back these rancid, selfish ideas of ‘closed doors’ and nationalist populism. There is optimism in that.”