Dealing with the crisis : The Brexit Spin
The professionalization of the political class has led to the emergence of key actors in public relations: the so-called “spin doctors”. Frank Esser offers the following definition: “‘spin doctor’ is an amalgam of ‘spin’, meaning the interpretation or slant placed on events (which is a sporting meta...
محفوظ في:
| الحاوية / القاعدة: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/osb, |
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| المؤلف الرئيسي: | |
| التنسيق: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| اللغة: | Anglais |
| منشور في: |
Observatoire de la société britannique
2022
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| الموضوعات: | |
| الوصول للمادة أونلاين: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
| الملخص: | The professionalization of the political class has led to the emergence of key actors in public relations: the so-called “spin doctors”. Frank Esser offers the following definition: “‘spin doctor’ is an amalgam of ‘spin’, meaning the interpretation or slant placed on events (which is a sporting metaphor, referring to the spin a pool player puts on a cue ball), and ‘doctor’, derived from the figurative uses of the word to mean patch up, piece together, and falsify”. Through catchphrases and soundbites, they help candidates present their ideas in the best light possible. As political parties have become brands, the importance of those special advisers has grown, with the rise of powerful figures such as Peter Mandelson, Alistair Campbell or more recently Dominic Cummings. The marketing strategy developed over the past few decades has reinforced a feeling of distrust in politicians and a clear resentment towards the London elite. Far from undermining the role of spin doctors, it seems that the Brexit crisis has strengthened their positions.This paper analyses the influence of spin doctors on Prime Ministers during the Brexit debate, from the referendum campaign in 2016 to the delivery of Brexit in early 2020. Because the first role of spin doctors is to enhance the image of their candidate, we will focus on key moments when the incumbent Prime Minister was in the front line: the 2016 referendum campaign and the 2017 and 2019 general elections. |
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