Brown's Big One
by Graham Davies
We certainly won't be seeing a repeat of the camply cringe-making theatricality of Mandelson. Brown does not do theatre. Or rhetoric. Or humour. We can expect a hard-working slog through the "achievements" of his government, combined with a clumsy attack on the the Tories and a promise to fight them on the beaches etc etc.
He has never really had much use for other people's opinions when it comes to speechwriting....or anything else, really. Tony Blair welcomed input from a wide variety of sources that were co-ordinated by a Chief Speechwriter.
Strangely, Blair was totally computer-phobic and wrote everything longhand. Brown uses his laptop constantly to create the first draft of every speech....and every subsequent draft. He does not even ask anyone else to give him jokes.
Brown is bucking a trend that has characterised most of the great speeches of the last 50 years: very few are the exclusive work of the speaker himself.
Kennedy, Thatcher and Reagan were humble enough to ask for help. Brown is not.
Monday, 28 September 2009
Peter's Finger
by Graham Davies
It was crass, over-blown and embarassing. The Mandelson Ego on the Labour Party stage was just as unpleasant to behold as it has always been.
Granted, he has learnt a sense of irony and self-parody. But coming from his mouth, the carefully calculated humorous attempts to make Mandelson 2.0 seem humble had exactly the opposite effect.
He seems to have employed the services of a Body Language Coach from the 1970s: his gestures attached to supposedly significant phrases showed the straight jacket of over-rehearsal. And his obsessive use of the right forefinger pointed to the sky was an his unconscious way of telling us that there is still only One Man worth listening to.
And he just can't help giving himself away. At one point, he told Brown "you will have my undivided attention". A few seconds later, perhaps as an afterthought, he said it would be accompanied by his undivided loyalty. This was the speech of a smugly superior, supervising schoolteacher, not a faithful warrior.
by Graham Davies
It was crass, over-blown and embarassing. The Mandelson Ego on the Labour Party stage was just as unpleasant to behold as it has always been.
Granted, he has learnt a sense of irony and self-parody. But coming from his mouth, the carefully calculated humorous attempts to make Mandelson 2.0 seem humble had exactly the opposite effect.
He seems to have employed the services of a Body Language Coach from the 1970s: his gestures attached to supposedly significant phrases showed the straight jacket of over-rehearsal. And his obsessive use of the right forefinger pointed to the sky was an his unconscious way of telling us that there is still only One Man worth listening to.
And he just can't help giving himself away. At one point, he told Brown "you will have my undivided attention". A few seconds later, perhaps as an afterthought, he said it would be accompanied by his undivided loyalty. This was the speech of a smugly superior, supervising schoolteacher, not a faithful warrior.
Clegg's Fantasy Speech
by Graham Davies
Nick Clegg has been to bed with more than 30 women and last week he spoke for 50 minutes with out using notes or a teleprompt. These are his two most striking achievements.
So when he said "I want to be Prime Minister", it had as much credibility as I had at the age of 5 when I told my Mum, "I want to be an astronaut".
Safe in the knowledge that he will never be able to carry them out, he boldly listed specific public spending cuts that have to be made. But he didn't have the balls to describe them as "savage" as he had originally intended.
He said that the LibDems' private polls, somewhat differently to all the polls that you and I have seen, show that the General Election is "wide open". Of course, they are right: it is a wide open question as to whether the Tory majority will be 50 or 150.
Overall, the speech was an exercise in schoolboy fantasy. He can now go back to his constituency and prepare for finishing 3rd. Again.
by Graham Davies
Nick Clegg has been to bed with more than 30 women and last week he spoke for 50 minutes with out using notes or a teleprompt. These are his two most striking achievements.
So when he said "I want to be Prime Minister", it had as much credibility as I had at the age of 5 when I told my Mum, "I want to be an astronaut".
Safe in the knowledge that he will never be able to carry them out, he boldly listed specific public spending cuts that have to be made. But he didn't have the balls to describe them as "savage" as he had originally intended.
He said that the LibDems' private polls, somewhat differently to all the polls that you and I have seen, show that the General Election is "wide open". Of course, they are right: it is a wide open question as to whether the Tory majority will be 50 or 150.
Overall, the speech was an exercise in schoolboy fantasy. He can now go back to his constituency and prepare for finishing 3rd. Again.
Wednesday, 23 September 2009
Yah Boo Heune
by Graham Davies
There is something of the Schoolyard in the way that Chris Heune presents himself. Nick Clegg was certainly stunned by the bullying nature of his personal attacks during the last LibDem leadership contest.
Heune hasn' t grown up much since. Okay, he had a sudden attack of sanity and decided not to call William Hague a skinhead in his conference speech. But calling the Tories "the Party of Crime" was just puerile.
This was someone who is happier with the immediate rush of a juvenile soundbite than he is with the hard work of suggesting solutions that actually work.
Maybe he was just getting his retaliation in first. He is almost certainly going to lose his seat in the Genearal Election....to a Tory. How sad it is for us all that this was his last conference speech as a Member of Parliament.
by Graham Davies
There is something of the Schoolyard in the way that Chris Heune presents himself. Nick Clegg was certainly stunned by the bullying nature of his personal attacks during the last LibDem leadership contest.
Heune hasn' t grown up much since. Okay, he had a sudden attack of sanity and decided not to call William Hague a skinhead in his conference speech. But calling the Tories "the Party of Crime" was just puerile.
This was someone who is happier with the immediate rush of a juvenile soundbite than he is with the hard work of suggesting solutions that actually work.
Maybe he was just getting his retaliation in first. He is almost certainly going to lose his seat in the Genearal Election....to a Tory. How sad it is for us all that this was his last conference speech as a Member of Parliament.
Sunday, 20 September 2009
Clegg's Clothes
by Graham Davies
It's very easy for a Party Leader to present bold new ideas when he knows that there is no chance of his party forming the next government. Or any government within his lifetime. That is the simultaneously freeing and frustrating position that Nick Clegg finds himself in as his party conference starts.
The speeches at LibDem conferences are often more interesting than than those you hear from the Big Two conferences. This mainly because the speakers (sometimes including Shadow Cabinet members) feel free to say stuff that does not slavishly agree with everything that the Leadership says. The debates actually involve people debating things.
In the last 24 hours, Clegg has ignited this presentational cauldron by being far more stark in his expression of the necessitiy for huge cuts, even in the NHS, allbeit in it's beauracracy rather than front-line service provision.
But this is not a new way of presenting the issue. With the Tories getting more careful by the minute about the C Word, Clegg is merely saying what Cameron used to say on a regular basis about 18 months ago.
Essentially, he has stolen Cameron's presentational clothes. And they fit him rather well.
by Graham Davies
It's very easy for a Party Leader to present bold new ideas when he knows that there is no chance of his party forming the next government. Or any government within his lifetime. That is the simultaneously freeing and frustrating position that Nick Clegg finds himself in as his party conference starts.
The speeches at LibDem conferences are often more interesting than than those you hear from the Big Two conferences. This mainly because the speakers (sometimes including Shadow Cabinet members) feel free to say stuff that does not slavishly agree with everything that the Leadership says. The debates actually involve people debating things.
In the last 24 hours, Clegg has ignited this presentational cauldron by being far more stark in his expression of the necessitiy for huge cuts, even in the NHS, allbeit in it's beauracracy rather than front-line service provision.
But this is not a new way of presenting the issue. With the Tories getting more careful by the minute about the C Word, Clegg is merely saying what Cameron used to say on a regular basis about 18 months ago.
Essentially, he has stolen Cameron's presentational clothes. And they fit him rather well.
Saturday, 5 September 2009
Flimsy Farage
by Graham Davies
When being interviewed on television, it is vital that you have a clear grasp of what you need to defend, as well as what you want to attack. Nigel Farage broke that rule in an embarassing appearance on BBC Breakfast yesterday. His credibility was severely damaged, despite the polite gentleness of the interviewer.
Apparently, he feels that he ought to challenge the Speaker because John Bercow epitomises the twisted Expenses Culture that once prevailed in the House of Commons. He was bullish and confident about this point. His precision and impact dipped dramatically when challenged about the £2 million of expenses and allowances claims he himself has made over the last 10 years as an MEP.
Bizarrely, he even refused to publish the details of these claims "unless the European Parliament supplies the figures".
The whole interview was a classic performance of political pomposity, by an individual who combines limited intellect with limitless lust for publicity.
If you are ever interviewed by any media, practise with a trusted colleague, and get them to ask the most awkward question imaginable....one that could possibly expose the weakness of your position if answered badly.
Do that, and you will perform better than at least one Party Leader.
by Graham Davies
When being interviewed on television, it is vital that you have a clear grasp of what you need to defend, as well as what you want to attack. Nigel Farage broke that rule in an embarassing appearance on BBC Breakfast yesterday. His credibility was severely damaged, despite the polite gentleness of the interviewer.
Apparently, he feels that he ought to challenge the Speaker because John Bercow epitomises the twisted Expenses Culture that once prevailed in the House of Commons. He was bullish and confident about this point. His precision and impact dipped dramatically when challenged about the £2 million of expenses and allowances claims he himself has made over the last 10 years as an MEP.
Bizarrely, he even refused to publish the details of these claims "unless the European Parliament supplies the figures".
The whole interview was a classic performance of political pomposity, by an individual who combines limited intellect with limitless lust for publicity.
If you are ever interviewed by any media, practise with a trusted colleague, and get them to ask the most awkward question imaginable....one that could possibly expose the weakness of your position if answered badly.
Do that, and you will perform better than at least one Party Leader.
Thursday, 3 September 2009
Election Debate?
by Graham Davies
I stand by my prediction in an earlier blog that Gordon Brown will never allow himself to take part in a televised Election Debate. I say this despite the brilliantly blackmailing announcement by Sky News that they will hold one whether he takes part or not.
He will come up with the usual excuses:
But the second reason remains the most compelling one: his ponderous, 20th Century style of presentation will be swept away by the Fast Gloss of Nick and Dave.....and perceived defeat in a head-to-head TV contest will merely accelerate his inevitable demise.
by Graham Davies
I stand by my prediction in an earlier blog that Gordon Brown will never allow himself to take part in a televised Election Debate. I say this despite the brilliantly blackmailing announcement by Sky News that they will hold one whether he takes part or not.
He will come up with the usual excuses:
- The House of Commons is the proper place to debate policy
- He wants to engage with real people, not other politicians
- A debate misleadingly implies that the Election is some sort of Presidential contest between individuals
But the second reason remains the most compelling one: his ponderous, 20th Century style of presentation will be swept away by the Fast Gloss of Nick and Dave.....and perceived defeat in a head-to-head TV contest will merely accelerate his inevitable demise.
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