Political Discourse Analysis

Equivocation

Slips and Hesitation

Transcription

Staccato Delivery

Politicians often have an odd style of delivery when doing TV and radio interviews whereby they ‘spit’ their words and syllables out one-by-one in machine-gun fashion. I caught Ellie Reeves, a Labour MP, doing this on Friday while being interviewed on the radio.

Silence on the Piers Morgan’s Show

Piers Morgan’s fiery interview with the Palestinian Ambassador to the UK, Husam Zomlot, last night has been viewed millions of times. It was noted for its antagonistic turn-taking and contentious lines, but what stood out for me was the moment of silence for the victims of the hospital bombing that the interviewee initiated – a full 11 seconds of silence: a rarity on most interview shows but particularly rare on the Piers Morgan Uncensored show especially since it was initiated by the guest.

‘I’m genuinely unclear’

I’ve written about Liz Truss’s speaking style and how it often comes across as ‘plodding’ and ‘monotonous‘. This is due in part to the way she divides her speech up into short tone units often with odd divisions.

Quote of the week

The Prime Minister is not under the desk.

Penny Mordaunt, 17th October 2022

More upspeak from the PM

More upspeak from Liz Truss, the Prime Minister:

The fall and rise of Liz Truss (‘s discourse)

Most Prime Ministers rise and fall. Liz Truss seems to fall then rise – in her spoken discourse, that is. In this post, I present a brief analysis of the some of the prosodic features of the Prime Minister’s language taken from her recent interview with Nick Robinson on the Radio 4 Today programme, including her tendency to use upspeak.

Gaps in thinking?

Liz Truss is known for he slow careful delivery but sometimes it seems like it might be politically more expedient to just hurry things along a bit. Here are two excruciatingly long pauses in an interview with BBC Stoke. At 3.6 and 4.0 seconds, these pauses may seem like nothing but in the context of a political interview for the PM who has been missing for four days they sound like massive gaps in her thinking.

Slips of the Tongue

Some slips of the tongue (speech errors) for analysis. Latest ones on top.

Liz Truss’ Speaking Rate

Tomorrow (Monday) we learn who will be the next British Prime Minister. The bookies have Liz Truss as odds on favourite over her rival, Rishi Sunak. Both candidates appeared on the BBC’s new flagship programme ‘Sunday with Laura Kuennsberg’ this morning. One thing that seemed obvious was the speaking speeds of the two candidates. Truss seems to be quite slow and deliberate whereas Sunak is quite fast and loquacious.

Quote of the week

We say no more blah blah blah.

Greta Thunberg, October 2021

That’s another two years before he’ll be back

Quote of the week

Lando, umbrellas are going up.

McLaren F1 to their driver, 26th September 2021

Starmer Holding the Floor

Kier Starmer, the Leader of the Labour party, was interviewed face-to-face on the Andrew Marr show this weekend. This was one of the first big face-to-face interviews Starmer has done in the last few weeks after COVID lockdown rules. Previous interviews were typically carried out online, at a distance.

to be someone in a language

A photo essay of non-representational linguistic idealism by Michael Cribb. Fifty three sumptuous spreads in full colour narrated and interpreted through inspirational quotes. The book builds on Hannah Arendt’s lamentation that we live in a language, not with a language. Language is the DNA of the mind and in language we experience our existence.

Structure of an Interview

Two-thirds

I heard this comment on Radio 4 this afternoon on the PM show and though it was worthy to bring it to you.

Face-Threatening Act (example)

Here is an example of an FTA to help you understand the concept. It is a non political example.

Quote of the week

South Ayrshire Golf club owner loses 2020 presidential election.

Ayrshire Daily News, 7th November 2020

Quote of the week

Networks don’t get to decide elections. Courts do.

Rudy Giuliani, 7th November 2020

Occasional questions and comprehensive answers

Interviewers usually ask questions and interviewees usually gives answers, right? Well in the ‘strange’ world of political interviews these rights and roles sometimes need to be explicitly stated.

Quote of the week

It’s quite literally government in hindsight.

Keir Starmer, PMQs, 7th October 2020

First Presidential Debate (2020)

One of the more amusing exchanges was Biden counting to three but skipping two. Trump was quick to pull him up on this.

First Presidential Debate (2020)

The first US presidential debate last night was a pretty torrid affair with frequent interruptions and negotiations for the floor between the candidates and the host. Here is a short transcription and analysis of a specific stretch of discourse.

Slip of the Tongue

A slip of the tongue from Keir Starmer (KS) at Prime Minister’s Questions.

It’s language, stupid!

Ever thought there might be something missing from our understanding of the universe? Ever thought there may be some extra dimension curled up, hidden away right in front of us? What if language was that dimension, a fifth dimension in the fabric of the universe which unfurls itself whenever we think, speak or write?

Quote of the week

Gove: without wanting to be overly semantic

Marr: be as semantic as you like

Andrew Marr Show, BBC, 12th July 2020

A Cascade of Slips

A single speech error (slip of the tongue) often cascades into multiple errors within the space of a few words as Boris Johnson found out yesterday. This has to be one of the all-time great slips that linguists will be analysing for years to come.

Why do so many fall foul of the Hunt/cunt slip?

Many commentators and broadcasters have fallen foul of Jeremy Hunt’s name over the years. Some make light of the slip, some ignore it, others apologise profusely. Hunt himself has acknowledged the problems people have had with his surname over the years including teachers at school.

Three words and 0.7 seconds: Not much time for a Minister

A lot was made on Twitter of Helen Whatley’s appearance on Sky TV this morning. The claim by some distractors was that Whatley was saying that the government could blame scientists for mistakes made in the COVID-19 policy.

Within ten seconds of listening to the discourse, however, it was clear to me that this is not what she meant to say. (And I believe that most people could easily reach this conclusion.) Face-to-face discourse goes pretty fast and Whatley misspoke for three words and 0.7 seconds! Not much time for the Minister but plenty of time for her opponents.

The dreaded c*nt slip strikes again

Poor old Naga Munchetty was the latest presenter to fall to the dreaded ‘cunt’ slip of the tongue on the BBC Breakfast show this morning.

Viruses can’t read

The quote below of Andrew Neil on the GMB show, said somewhat tongue-in-cheek, claims that a virus ‘can’t read’. Most people would agree with that I think.

Quote of the week

“Comets rare enough to be seen without needing to use a telescope are rare.”

The Independent (newspaper) Thursday 14th May 2020

Slip of the Tongue

An interesting slip of the tongue here by Kay Burley, Sky news presenter, which can almost be called an internal Spoonerism.

Thanks, I think?

Amidst all the doom and gloom of Coronavirus, sometimes thanking your Business correspondent is just too much as Jackie Long found out on Channel 4 news recently.

Using intonation to predict the end of turn

In spoken discourse, we can usually predict when our conversational partner is about to finish a turn by listening to their intonation. This is not always successful, however, as demonstrated by the following clip in which a TV host assumes that the reporter has finished his lines when in fact he has more to say.

Get Brexit done!

It is the day after the General Election in Britain and Boris Johnson, the newly re-elected Prime Minister of the country, is standing on the steps of Downing Street delivering his address to the nation. Within 30 seconds of starting his speech, that oft-repeated phrase ‘Get Brexit done’ has tripped from his lips. This well-trodden phrase, that was at the heart of the Tory election strategy, is now a permanent feature of the Prime Minister’s  discourse.

Politics with its warts and all!

Only £10 on Amazon (paperback) / £2.99 (eBook)

“No, listen to my arguments instead of hearing all yours!”

Lord Lilley being interviewed by Emily Maitlis on BBC Newsnight. I like how the interviewee sets his own agenda and tries to control the floor in line 08 and then in 14.

“Can I explain why?” “No explain how.”

Andrew Neil interviewed Jeremy Corbyn on BBC television tonight. Neil is a forensic interviewer who usually pins his interviewees down to exact words and syllables. But Corbyn is know for his own brand of stubbornness, and there was one wonderful moment when the two negotiated the terms of a question like children in the school yard fighting over whether to play tag or hide and seek.

MARR: “I know the answer”

Political interviewers like to pretend that they are are asking genuine questions to their political guests. But sometimes it is revealed all too clearly that their questions are really designed to try and steer the guest towards a particular answer.

I AM answering the question

Politicians often get accused of not answering questions but sometimes they fight back as Andy McDonald did on Friday.

Quote of the week

“I want nothing. I want nothing. I want no quid pro quo.”

Donald Trump, September 9th 2019

Gove’s gestures

Michael Gove, Conservative MP, serves up some curious hand gestures while speaking including teacup gestures and steeple Vulcans. Here are some of the more interesting examples from his interview on the Andrew Marr show on Sunday.

Bercow: Chuntering from a sedentary position

John Bercow retired from the post of The Speaker in the House of Commons. Here are some of his best bits from this website.

Quote of the week

“The prime minister said he would die and yet he lives! Who does he think he is? The people of this country expect him to be dead, and he has the temerity to come here today, both living and breathing.”

@MorganPlain, Twitter, 29th October 2019

 

Eye fluttering

Politicians use all means to try and grab and hold the floor during interviews including non-verbal means. Nigel Farage has developed an interesting technique where he flutters his eyes for a few seconds, almost bringing them to a close, in an attempt to shut out the interviewer and hold the floor.

Quote of the week

“It’s like saying I want to get childbirth over and done with so I can get back to getting lots of sleep and reading lots of novels.”

Helen Lewis, The Andrew Marr Show, BBC, 20th October 2019

New species observed since Brexit referendum

Brexit has not only changed the political landscape but has also given rise to a number of new species in the Homo genus according to scientists. Here is a quick run through some of the newcomers.

Impolite conversation of the week

Sometimes being impolite and creating conflict doesn’t take much effort. All you need to do is raise your voice!

Hampden Books announces:

Slips of the Tongue from the Linguistic Graveyard: One shit, two c*nts and a Brexit Breakfast!

by Michael Cribb

Quote of the week

“once again we’re living above the shop!”

Sajid Javid, Conservative Party Conference, 30th September 2019

Fighting for control of the floor

Fight for control of the floor can sometimes produce odd utterances out of the mouths of the interlocutors. Here is Boris Johnson and Nick Robinson spluttering syllables like bird wings flapping in the air as they fight for the turn in an interview on Radio 4 Today programme.

Holding the floor: Eyes down

The eyes play an important part in human communication. They can signal an intention to communicate and sometimes act to facilitate turn transition. In this example here, we see Tom Watson, the  Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, using his eyes to hold the floor during an interview on Sunday.

Quote of the week

“She seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future. So nice to see!”

Donald Trump, Twitter, 23rd September 2019

Quote of the week

“Mr Davey, you have to understand, that we’re all looking at you as hypocrites.”

Audience member, BBC Question Time, 19th September 2019

Chuntering from a sedentary position

John Bercow, the Speaker of the House of Commons, likes to pick up on members who ‘chunter from a sedentary position’ – a slightly politer, and perhaps archaic, way of saying ‘shut up and stop muttering’.

Can I say s**t in the House of Commons?

Certain words in the House of Commons are normally taboo but sometimes it is possible to get away with using them by quoting someone and asking for ‘leave’ from The Speaker.

Exasperation and incredulity!

Political commentators and journalists all have their own idiosyncratic styles when interviewing politicians. Emily Maitlis, the BBC Newsnight  commentator, often shows exasperation and incredulity in her voice through sweeping intonation falls and facial expressions. Here is a brief analysis to show how she uses linguistic features to signal this attitude.

Quote of the week

“HS2, we’re probably too pregnant to pull out.”

Tracy Brabin, 23rd May 2019 (BBC QT)

 

Conversation Analysis – BBC Question Time (part 1)

Editor: The BBC’s Question Time programme on Thursday nights seems to court controversy these days as we hold it to ever more stringent impartiality standards. In this blog, Elena Ioannidou dissects the discourse that this programme produces from a CA perspective. The blog is split into two parts. Part two is here.

Conversation Analysis – BBC Question Time (part 2)

Editor: This is part 2 of the blog on the BBC Question Time programme. Part 1 is here.

Linguistic Rapping

Negotiating the floor can take on epic proportions at times with your interlocutor when you both want to get something out. In the following two examples, David Davis and John Humphrys almost end up rapping together as they fight for the floor with each other!

Quote of the week

“If you now try to hold us in against our will you will be facing perfidious Albion on speed.”

Mark Francois, 10th April 2019

 

Quote of the week

Reporter: How long is a long extension, please?

Juncker: Until the very end.

Jean Claude Juncker, 21st March 2019

 

Slip of the Tongue: Brexit

The dreaded Brexit slip strikes again!

Holding the Floor

What is the best way to guarantee nobody ever interrupts you during a debate?

Quote of the week

“If this doesn’t work out, I’ll probably will do it, maybe definitely.”

Donald Trump, 10th January 2019

The many faces of ‘no’

Theresa May seems to have developed many ways of saying ‘no’ without actually meaning it. In her interview with Andrew Marr at the weekend, she frequently used reduced articulations of the word (e.g. ‘n-’) to preface her responses to Marr’s questions.

Slip of the Tongue: Titsly Come Dancing

Speech errors don’t get much better when they appear in front of a live audience of millions on the BBC for the final of Strictly Come Dancing. This Freudian slips will go down as one of the classics.

Quote of the week

“I believe that all fish should be in the sea.”

Benjamin Zephaniah, BBC Question Time, 29th November 2018

 

Slips of the Tongue: Repair Procedures

Slips of the tongue (speech errors) nearly always include some repair whereby the speaker realises the mistake and then attempts to correct for their error.

Slip of the Tongue: Borrowing from downstream

Speech errors (slips of the tongue) often ‘borrow’ from language in the mind that is downstream of the target language. Here is a good example from Theresa May at PMQs.

Whooo! There’s that Corbyn stare again.

Prime Minister’s questions (PMQs) got a ‘whooo!’ of surprise today when Jeremy Corbyn was speaking at the dispatch box.

Bad things always come in threes

One way to put a politician on the spot is to ask them how many people have been affected by their policy. Three times seems to be the optimum number of times to ask according to the Andrew Marr’s rulebook as he interviewed Theresa May on Sunday.

Howzat! A hat trick of slips.

Slips of the tongue can be annoying for interviewers when they happen once. But when one error leads into another and then another, all in the space of a few words, it can be triply frustrating.

Slip of the Tongue: ‘exotic spresm’

Vince Cable should perhaps leave sexual innuendos to others after fluffing his lines at the Liberal Democrats’ conference on Tuesday. Cable had intended to say that the Tories were locked in an ‘erotic spasm’ over Brexit, but instead the words came out as ‘exotic spresm’ producing an interesting slip.

Slip of the Tongue

Phoneme insertion in line 01.

Slip of the Tongue

Slips of the tongue that involve word substitution always seem to get the biggest laughs. Here Jeremy Hunt, the new Foreign Secretary, mistakenly refers to his wife as Japanese when she is in fact Chinese. The humour in this slip was obvious to the audience of Chinese dignitaries during a visit by Hunt to Beijing to discuss post-Brexit trade talks.

The ‘shame’ shout

Standing up and speaking in public is not just a one-way affair from speaker to audience. The reaction of the audience to what is said can be just as important and defining as the speaker’s words themselves.

Quote of the week

“This is the most expensive round of golf in history.”

Barry Gardner, BBC Question Time, 12th July 2018

Two ‘fakes’ raise the stakes

Conversation can sometimes be like a game of poker, raising and doubling stakes, as the Andrew Marr Show demonstrated on Sunday.

Slip of the Tongue (Sally Who?)

Sally Who? You don’t get a name like that unless you work for the BBC!

Quote of the week

“You wait forever for a bus question at PMQs, and then seven come along at once.”

Scott Mann, Conservative MP at PMQs, 4th July 2018

Slip of the Tongue

An interesting slip of the tongue by Theresa May at Prime Minister’s question time occurred on Wednesday and suggested that perhaps we had voted for rather more than we thought during the EU referendum in 2016!

a/the Single Market

It seems strange that two of the smallest and most commonest words in the English dictionary could cause confusion between interviewer and interviewee but that is what ‘a’ and ‘the’ seemed to do on Sunday when Andrew Marr interviewed James Brokenshire, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, on the BBC.

Interview terminated!

Richard Madeley knows when to shut down an interview. On ITV’s Good Morning Britain, he abruptly brought his interview with Gavin Williamson, the Defence Secretary, to an end when Williamson refused to answer his question after four strikes.

A brief bit of brevity

Prime Minister’s question time (PMQs) is known for lengthy questions and answers from Prime Ministers and backbenchers so it was interesting to observe a brief bit of brevity from the Prime Minister in two of her answers on Wednesday.

Slips of the Tongue

Two slips of the tongue from the BBC.

This can be a one word answer if you wouldn’t mind?

Interviewers don’t always get what they ask for but when they do, it can often cause difficulties for the interview.

Never ask a genuine question at PMQs

Lawyers sometimes say that you should never ask a witness a question during trial to which you don’t the answer to. The same principles usually operates in Prime Minister’s questions in the House of Commons where the question and answer session is really one of “statement” followed by “statement” (even though the statements are dressed up as questions and answers).

Slip of the Tongue

A slip of the tongue from a Radio 4 Today programme presenter (Justin Webb).

Angling for a job, Ms Perry?

Claire Perry, Conservative MP, seemed to enjoy asking questions on the Daily Politics today, so much so that Andrew Neil feared she was angling for his job.

Slip of the Tongue

A slip of the tongue by Boris Johnson.

Quote of the week

“I am officially dead, although I’m alive, I have no income and because I am listed dead, I can’t do anything.”

Constantin Reliu, 16th March 2018

Finishing off your interviewee’s sentences

Interviewers are always looking for ways to hurry their interviewees along, so finishing off their ideas seems to be a nice way to do this with the added advantage that you get the floor back. Why wait for the slow speaker to finish when you can do the job in half the time!

Slips of the Tongue

Two slips of the tongues here, courtesy of BBC presenters.