Abstract
In recent history parties are perceived to have become less ideological. In the place of grand visions parties are increasingly seen to be preoccupied with electoral victory, focusing not on ideas but on aligning their messages with the views of swing voters. And yet ideology remains a pivotal component of politics, with parties continuing to debate, contest and advance ideational visions for society. While seemingly incommensurate these two trends are reconcilable — although parties continue to be ideological, their public image often emphasises competence and pragmatism, suppressing the ideological indicators by which party identity can be discerned. In seeking to monitor party ideology it therefore becomes necessary to direct attention to party rhetoric and the ‘partisan agendas and desires’ it contains (Fish, 1989, p. 474).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Bibliography
Andersson, J. (2010) The Library and the Workshop: Social Democracy and Capitalism in the Knowledge Age (Stanford: Stanford University Press).
Bartoletti, I. (2011) ‘Sparring with Maurice Glasman’, Fabiana, (1), http://issuu.com/jimbo5/docs/fabianna_launch_issue_autumn_2011/10, date accessed 10 May 2013
Bartoletti, I. and Malhotra, S. (2011) ‘Glasman: Women are Central to Blue Labour’, Next Left, 15 July, http://www.nextleft.org/2011/07/glasman-women-are-central-to-blue.html, date accessed 12 May 2013.
Blair, T. (2005) Speech to the Labour Party Conference, Brighton, 27 September, http://www.britishpoliticalspeech.org/speech-archive.htm?speech=182, date accessed 10 May 2013.
Bragg, B. (2011) ‘Labour is Already Too Blue’, The Guardian, 7 April.
Bull, P. (2000) ‘New Labour, New Rhetoric? An Analysis of the Rhetoric of Tony Blair’, in C. De Landtsheer and O. Feldman (eds), Beyond Public Speech and Symbols: Explorations in the Rhetoric of Politicians and the Media (Westport: Praeger Publisher).
Crouch, C. (2012) Coping with Post-Democracy (Fabian Society Pamphlet), www.fabians.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Post-Democracy.pdf, date accessed 12 May 2013.
Cruddas, J. (2013a) ‘Earning and Belonging’, Speech to the Resolution Foundation, 6 February.
Cruddas, J. (2013b) ‘Childhood and Family Life’, Speech, The Wythenshawe Forum, Manchester.
Davis, R. (2012) ‘What became of Blue Labour?’ The New Statesman, 30 September, http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/politics/2012/09/what-became-blue-labour, date accessed 15 May 2013.
Finlayson, A. (2007) ‘From Beliefs to Arguments: Interpretive Methodology and Rhetorical Political Analysis’, British Journal of Politics and International Relations, 9(4), 545–563.
Finlayson, A. (2012) ‘Rhetoric and the Political Theory of Ideologies’, Political Studies, 60(4), 751–767.
Finlayson, A. (2013) ‘From Blue to Green and Everywhere in Between: Left Political Economy after New Labour’, British Journal of Politics and International Relations, 15(1), 70–88.
Finlayson, A. and Martin, J. (2008) ‘“It Ain’t What You Say...”: British Political Studies and the Analysis of Speech and Rhetoric’, British Politics, 3(4), 445–464.
Fish, S. (1989) Doing What Comes Naturally: Change, Rhetoric, and the Practice of Theory in Literary and Legal Studies (USA: Duke University Press).
Glasman, M. (2011) ‘My Blue Labour Vision can Defeat the Coalition’, The Observer, 24 April.
Glasman, M. (2012a) ‘The Labour Tradition and the Politics of the Common Good’, May Day Conference.
Glasman, M. (2012b) ‘Blue Labour and Labour History’, Blue Labour and Labour History Symposium, Anglia Ruskin University, 1 November.
Glasman, M. (2013) ‘Interview’, 18 April, London.
Glasman, M., Rutherford, J., Stears, M., and White, S. (2011) The Labour Tradition and the Politics of Paradox, www.soundings.org.uk, date accessed 2 June 2011.
Goodman, H. (2011) Tradition and Change: Four People, www.leftfootforward.org, date accessed 2 May 2013.
Hasan, M. (2011) ‘Memo to Blue Labourites: Tone Down the Nostalgia’, The New Statesman, 20 April, http://www.newstatesman.com/uk-politics/2011/04/blue-labour-party-glasman, date accessed 13 May 2013.
Katwala, S. (2011) ‘So, What is Blue Labour?’ Next Left, 2 July, http://www.nextleft.org/2011/07/so-what-is-blue-labour.html, date accessed 12 May 2013.
Kavanagh, D. (1996) ‘British Party Conferences and the Political Rhetoric of the 1990s’, Government and Opposition, 31(1), 27–44.
Lawrence, J. (2012) ‘British History and the Politics of Blue Labour’, Blue Labour and Labour History Symposium, Anglia Ruskin University, 1 November.
Miliband, E. (2010) Speech to the Labour Party Conference, Manchester, 28 September, http://www.britishpoliticalspeech.org/speech-archive.htm?speech=212, date accessed 10 May 2013.
Miliband, E. (2011) Speech to the Labour Party Conference, Liverpool, 27 September, http://www.britishpoliticalspeech.org/speech-archive.htm?speech=312, date accessed 10 May 2013.
Miliband, E. (2012) Speech to the Labour Party Conference, Manchester, 2 October, http://www.britishpoliticalspeech.org/speech-archive.htm?speech=323, date accessed 10 May 2010.
Moon, D.S. and Bratberg, Ø. (2010) ‘Conceptualising the Multi-Level Party: Two Complementary Approaches’, Politics, 30(1), 52–60.
Rutherford, J. (2011) ‘Blue Labour is Over but the Debate has Just Begun’, The New Statesman, 29 July, http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2011/07/blue-labour-conservative-mood, date accessed 12 May 2013.
Schmidt, V. (2002) ‘Does Discourse Matter in the Politics of Welfare State Adjustment?’ Comparative Political Studies, 35(2), 168–193.
Schmidt, V. (2008) ‘Discursive Institutionalism: The Explanatory Power of Ideas and Discourse’, Annual Review of Political Science, 11, 303–326.
Shaw, E. (2004) ‘The Control Freaks? New Labour and the Party’, in S. Ludlam and M.J. Smith (eds), Governing as New Labour: Policy and Politics Under Blair (London: Palgrave Macmillan).
Smith, C.A. and Smith, C. (2000) ‘A Rhetorical Perspective on the 1997 Manifestos’, Political Communication, 17(4), 457–473.
Stears, M. (2011) ‘The Attacks on Blue Labour are Hollow’, The Guardian, 29 June.
Wintour, P. (2011) ‘Miliband Speech to Engage with Blue Labour Ideals’, The Guardian, 21 April.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2014 Katharine Dommett
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Dommett, K. (2014). Rhetoric and Party Politics — Looking Beyond the Leader. In: Atkins, J., Finlayson, A., Martin, J., Turnbull, N. (eds) Rhetoric in British Politics and Society. Rhetoric, Politics and Society Series. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137325532_6
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137325532_6
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-45941-4
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-32553-2
eBook Packages: Palgrave Political Science CollectionPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)