Category: Government

New slogans, same old spin: Sunak’s net zero PR problem

London, United Kingdom. The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak holds a 'Net Zero' press conference in Downing Street. Picture by Simon Walker / No 10 Downing Street

Criticising sloganeering, with a campaign slogan strewn across a podium and a screen on the wall.

Lamenting ‘government by headline’ while sharing several social media posts designed to drive (no pun) the net zero narrative.

Decrying how politics is done as political aides feed MPs attack lines in readiness for battle opponents who support net zero.

As a comms professional, these inconsistencies stuck after the substance of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s net zero speech sank in.

And therein lies the problem. The way politics is done today – short term, obsessed with headlines, shrouded in spin – fails the country, he said. Who, honestly, would disagree with that?

It makes what followed this opening a travesty. In setting a dividing line for Labour ahead of the general election, Mr Sunak can’t credibly claim to be thinking long-term at all.

More than ever, it demonstrated that the old way of communicating is alive and kicking. Labour posted a mock-up of Sunak in Liz Truss’ pocket, but hasn’t charged into battle.  

We are already seeing that the facts around the impact of these policies get lost in the noise. Few people seem persuaded as advocates and opponents double down on their views.   

Far from bringing in a new approach to politics, I fear we can expect more of this in the coming months.

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Letter to James Heappey MP: stand with parliament on Monday

Houses of Parliment in London, where James Heappey votes during the week

I’ve taken time to read the House of Commons Committee of Privileges’ partygate report into Boris Johnson’s conduct. It prompted me to write to my MP James Heappey (Conservative, Wells) to ask him to back the committee’s recommendation and stand with his parliamentary colleagues. This is my letter.

Dear James,

I write to you as a parent, small business owner and someone who has always believed that politics can be a force for good.

I have been fortunate to work with MPs and councillors from all parties throughout my professional life. Thanks to this, I know there are many decent politicians who care about the communities they represent.

As my local MP, you will represent me on Monday when voting on the Privileges Committee’s recommendation to suspend Boris Johnson’s parliamentary pass following their investigation into his conduct.

Having taken the time to read the committee’s report, I urge you to support its recommendation.

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The hard truth about apologies: your reputation rests on them

Apology image. Lots of red squares with white text saying sorry

However tough it is, saying sorry for a mistake is the right thing to do.

When things go wrong, a timely genuine apology can repair reputational damage and restore trust.

It helps if the words are heartfelt and backed up by a commitment to put things right. Comms professionals sometimes describe this as ‘owning a crisis’.

Being sincere. Taking ownership. Committing to putting things right. Learning lessons. We hail these as the steps to reputational redemption, whatever the problem.

But, as we’ve witnessed recently, reality and personality can get in the way of a textbook approach. April saw a spate of missteps followed by apologies, with varying degrees of success. In sharing these examples, we offer no comment on the events which led to the apologies. They speak for themselves and generated miles of copy already.

This is all about the contrition, and how it went down. 

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New developments in place and PR for 2023

Predicting developments in place and PR: a crystal ball set against a dark, urban backdrop

Volatile, uncertain, chaotic, and ambiguous. These words formed an acronym – VUCA – a few years ago summarising how modern life feels for many organisations.

Uncertainty shaped the narrative for much of 2022. Then September’s awful fiscal event brought other elements of the VUCA matrix more clearly into view.

It’s an interesting time to set up a new business, with inflation and cost-of-living concerns nudging the economy towards recession. Amidst the haze, predicting what to expect from 2023 seems like a mug’s game.

We can see this year will be challenging, for sure. We shouldn’t limit our ambition, but nor should we be too hard on ourselves if things don’t go to plan. Getting through it in decent shape, with a happy team that’s proud of its work would be a good outcome for 2023. And there will be opportunities and memorable moments too.

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My three most read blogs of 2022

It’s interesting to see all the ‘what a year!!’ celebratory posts across my social feeds at the end of a challenging 2022.

As I enter my 48th year, I too reflect on a year to be proud of, but without being too gushing about how ‘great’ it was. That’s because, in many ways, it wasn’t. It’s ulimately been a good year, but parts of it came at some personal cost. I wouldn’t be true to myself if I suggested otherwise.

I’ve returned to conversations I had this time last year, feeling ground down by perma-crises that affected all of us. Whilst the initial panic of COVID subsided, we had no sense of what was coming in 2022. Having set up Distinctive in June, two Prime Ministers and six fiscal events later, it’s a wonder I’ve found time to write any blogs.

While I haven’t completed as many as I wanted to, those I published performed better than in 2021. They also helped me process events happening around me.

If anyone who stopped to read or share them found them useful too, that’s a bonus.

Here are the three posts that had the most views in 2022.

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Post-truth mindset must leave government with Truss

Liz Truss on the podium at a press conferene on 14 October 2022

Liz Truss’ press conference performance last Friday had the air of a disgruntled employee working out their notice in a job that was never for them.

Terse and evasive, her blank stare resembled a zoned out manager who had reached the end of their tenure. Taking just four questions from a room full of journalists – and answering none properly – failed to match the seriousness of the moment.

And don’t forget, this was the moment when her economic policy fell apart, less than a month after its unveling. She announced it without contrition, suggesting that the markets weren’t ready for her Growth Plan.

It plumbed new depths for a format that too many treat as an opportunity to ‘get their message out’ rather than properly engage the media on nationally significant events. Listening on the radio, journalists’ exasperation when Truss left the room after eight minutes was palpable. I shared their bewilderment watching it again afterwards.   

Liz Truss’ eight-minute press conference on 14 October 2022

This highlights a long-running issue with spin that I’ve banged on about for years. But they’re not even spinning a line any more. They’ve stopped answering questions and left us staring at an empty podium wondering what the hell just happened.

Here are a few moments which hopefully illustrate my point.  

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