Last week, I posted a couple of video clips to mark the 30th anniversary of the BBC comedy series Yes Minister/Yes Prime Minister (HERE & HERE).
This is the second in the series of three on how Jim Hacker was coached to make a televised speech:
St. Dave's Day competition (Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant cystadleuaeth)
As St David's Day has fallen on the day after David Cameron's speech at the Conservative Party Spring Forum, what better way to mark the occasion than with a competition?
Since first watching the clip posted yesterday (see below) illustrating the risks a speaker runs in having members of the audience sitting behind him, I've noticed something else - namely that Kenneth Clarke not only fails to nod in agreement when William Hague and others do, but is also the only member of the shadow cabinet who doesn't bother to get his hands apart and join in the delayed burst of applause.
Whether or not there's any significance in this, I have no idea, but I do know that not applauding can be an accountable matter that has been known to result in a politician being interrogated about it - as when Peter Snow 'merely observed' that Francis Pym had not been clapping vigorously enough during a conference speech by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Geoffrey Howe (HERE).
THE CHALLENGE:
Competitors are invited to watch the whole of yesterday's speech by David Cameron's - which can be seen HERE - and then follow Peter Snow's example by seeing if there's anything else you can 'merely observe' about the behavior and/or facial expressions of those in the audience sitting behind him.
Your observation(s) may be entered in the blog comments section and/or emailed directly to me (via the link in 'My complete profile' on the top left of this page).
THE PRIZE:
The author of the best entry received before 31 March will be awarded a signed copy of Lend Me Your Ears.
THE TRAILER:
Time the Tories learnt from Mrs Thatcher's stage managers?
During the party conference season, I commented on the peculiar backdrop behind platform speakers at last year's Conservative Party conference, and pointed out that Mrs Thatcher, under the guidance of Harvey Thomas, had revolutionised the staging of conferences.
A major innovation was to make sure that the main camera angle hid everyone but the speaker from view, so that television viewers couldn't see anyone looking bored with, or disapproving of, what she was saying - a detail that was eventually latched on to and copied by Labour Party conference organisers:
For some strange reason, today's Tories seem to think that it's a good idea to have their leader speaking with his back to his shadow cabinet colleagues, as he did at today's Spring Forum in Brighton.
But, however much they may have been briefed to look attentive and nod in the right places, it's not just that it looks odd (and arguably completely unnatural) to see someone making a speech with his back to so many members of the audience, it's also a risky and distracting strategy.
Unless, of course, I'm the only viewer who can't help keeping an eye on how the audience is reacting and is continually on the lookout for yawns and/or heads shaking in disagreement. The inevitable result is that you don't listen as closely to what he's saying as you otherwise would (which could possibly be the reason they do it) - while the possible ever-present risk is that someone's inappropriate reaction might prompt the beginnings of a negative news story.
P.S. Just noticed a delayed burst of applause 36 seconds into this clip - shadow cabinet members behind him had been nodding their heads, but didn't get their hands apart to join in until after the audience in front of him has started clapping. Not a negative news story, perhaps, but is anything gained by exposing such hesitant stuff to a wider audience?
P.P.S. (1 March): Since posting this, I've announced details of a St Dave's Day (prize) competition HERE.
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