tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3553440626649035970.post998555967264039473..comments2023-12-10T16:30:24.965+00:00Comments on Max Atkinson's Blog: Will the 2010 UK general election be the first one to leave us speechless?Max Atkinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06163447049027217653noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3553440626649035970.post-65777452323153768792010-02-02T16:15:39.683+00:002010-02-02T16:15:39.683+00:00@BrianJenner - those Cameron "speeches" ...@BrianJenner - those Cameron "speeches" are really just press conferences without questions. They're like Movie Remakes of books, except Spoken-word remakes of policy papers. They're given inside Westminster, and in front of an audience of journalists and political hacks. <br /><br />@Max - I think you should see a piece from Guido Fawkes today - <br /><br />http://order-order.com/2010/02/02/osborne-hold-me-to-account/<br /><br />which notes that the Westminster Lobby seemed upset at the prospect of having to listen to one of these so-called speeches at the BRITISH MUSEUM, for goodness sakes. It's ten minutes away from Westminster. But the bubble doesn't like to travel. <br /><br />I would suggest that politicians need to stand up to this media intransigence by severely limiting the number of sit-down interviews, and by giving rallies - not speeches - in locations outside London in order to deliver their remarks and comments of the day. In other words, FORCE the media to cover the speaking. <br /><br />Of course, that would require willingness on the part of politicians. And they're far too comfortable in their own little bubble in SW1A to want to break the code of practise.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3553440626649035970.post-65588576370561056582010-01-22T10:34:10.351+00:002010-01-22T10:34:10.351+00:00Never underestimate the ability of a politician to...Never underestimate the ability of a politician to turn a ladder into a snake.<br /><br />Cameron is making loads of speeches, but because of the influence of 'branding' he always says the same things about creating a greener, fairer Britain (yawn) and 'fixing the broken society'.<br /><br />He churns out the same stuff about 'post-bureaucratic' world. <br /><br />This is clearly a strategy. If you say the same thing often enough, it supposedly gets home and you don't risk saying something stupid. (Despite the fact that Cameron is always dropping clangers - Gordon Brown did a great demolition job on him yesterday by quoting Ken Clarke (a genuinely spontaneous politician!))<br /><br />They won't change it, despite the fact that it's boring and out of kilter with what actually people feel.<br /><br />I finished David Hare's play 'Absence of War' last week, and he identified this trend in the early 1990s. Rather than being themselves, politicians become enslaved to advisors and focus groups. They don't want politicians going off message - the problem is that they don't really know what their message is!<br /><br />A good speechwriter could help them come up with many ways of saying the same things, but with interesting angles and stories.Brian Jennerhttp://www.thespeechwriter.co.uknoreply@blogger.com