'huge, queer and tawdry' but 'much admired by the public'

Indeed. A friend was recently trying to convince me that I should really vote Labour on the grounds that Labour are 'my people', ie mostly I hang out with people who are/vote Labour. Which even aside from how many Lib Dems I know, rather ignores how many Labour members seem violently to hate other factions within the party, to a degree none of the other parties could match within living memory.