The formula for a great speech is so complex that people tend to write whole books on the subject (see Speaking to Lead by John Shosky), so in our brief blog we’re not going to attempt such a thing. Instead, we’d like to identify one key feature that no great speech would be without… an enemy. Whether you are Winston Churchill, Elizabeth I or King Theodyn from The Lord of the Rings, you need an enemy (based on these examples, unusually an invading one).
This morning the country woke up to the news that Labour’s Debbie Abrahams has held her seat in the Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election with 42% of the vote, up ten points since the general election. And, unless you woke up at insane o’clock this morning, the news coverage you saw would have included this rousing speech by the victor. We must say that when we saw it, it did kind of remind us of this speech from the film Taken, particularly as they are similar in length and tone.
My favourite part of Debbie Abrahams’s speech was when she said that she would hunt down, find and kill David Cameron and Nick Clegg if that was what it would take to get her daughter back. Oh no, wait, sorry, that was Liam Neeson.
What Debbie Abrahams did say was that “The voters have spoken for the country, they have sent a clear message… there is growing anger against your reckless policies, against your broken promises and your unfair cuts”, aiming her cutting remarks at the coalition government. If this was a signal from the voting public to show their dissatisfaction with the current government, then it is surely time to look to the future and consider the progress of the opposition…
Labour’s Revival by Paul Richards, editor of Tony Blair in his own words and author of How To Win An Election and Be Your Own Spin Doctor, explores exactly that. Analysing past errors and assessing the party’s potential for change and new agendas, Richards offers a comprehensive text for anyone interested in the future of Labour.
Let’s hope some key members of the party are reading this. Remember, Ed, they are your enemy.
Order your copy of Paul Richards’s Labour’s Revival: The Modernisers’ Manifesto here for £12.99
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