Donal Blaney: Governing is campaigning by different means

Every week the Co-Founder and Chief Executive of the Young Britons' Foundation, Donal Blaney, explains one of Morton Blackwell's Laws of the Public Policy Process. Morton Blackwell is the Founder and President of the Leadership Institute in Arlington, Virginia.

Something happens to politicians when they stand for office. It’s not so much that they forget who put them where they are, although that seems to be an increasingly common factor. It’s not that they forget their principles, although certainly many seem to do this as well (assuming they had any to start with). It’s that their IQs fall a dozen or so points. They forget everything they ever learned from the days when they were mere mortals, or “activists” as they are more usually known. 

When politicians are seeking the approval of voters during an election campaign, they focus on campaigning so as to secure victory. Every leaflet, every public statement, every speech focuses on ensuring the success of the campaign. 

Yet all too often the tactics that were so successfully deployed in opposition or during an election campaign are ignored once victory has been secured. The Machiavellian arts of persuasion, message repetition and pre-emptive rebuttal fall by the wayside and are replaced by managerial and technocratic centred administration. 

The feisty performance of the Conservative campaign in 1992, personified by John Major on his soap box, was replaced by mundane, defensive government which failed to sell the achievements of the Conservative government and instead saw ministers encamped in their departmental bunkers beholden to Sir Humphreys and Bernard Woolleys. 

In contrast, New Labour understood that governing is campaigning by different means. The first term Labour government, in particular, saw a continued and sometime vicious assault on a demoralized opposition coupled with a masterful management of the news agenda. 

Conservatives should rightly decry the excessive spin and the recurrent abuses of powers that have been the hallmark of New Labour. But it would be folly not to learn from Labour’s undoubted success at getting their message across, advancing their agenda and destroying their opponents. 

The fact that the Conservatives are in opposition for at least the next 2-3 years does not mean that conservative activists can safely ignore this week’s maxim. Conservatives in local government can and should ensure that this maxim is at the heart of all discussions among local authority cabinets or administration group meetings. 

Failure to adhere to the principle that “governing is campaigning by different means” is tantamount to taking your eye off the ball. It allows your opponents to regroup and negates any inherent benefit arising from incumbency. The public’s lack of interest in political discourse means that any message needs to repeated ad nauseam before it enters into the minds of voters. 

Successes in councils need to be announced, reannounced and announced again. Opponents’ shortcomings need to be highlighted and focused on time and time again. Key phrases and slogans should be repeated. Wandsworth and Westminster councils are pioneers of this approach. In Hammersmith & Fulham, the Conservative cabinet even has a member dedicated to “strategy”. Richmond council, on the other hand, failed to adhere to this week’s maxim which led to its loss to the Liberal Democrats in 2006. 

As and when the Conservatives return to power, the Party needs to focus on what it will do once in office – not just as regards specific policies that will be enacted but also by ensuring that the government’s message is properly communicated to the media and voters alike. It may make some activists uncomfortable but our model should be Labour in 1997 and not the Tories in 1992. Only in that way will we ensure that we stand as good a chance as possible of governing well for a decent period of time instead of enjoying a honeymoon even shorter than that of Steve McClaren.

Previous entry in this series: Choose your enemies as carefully as your friends

Comments

[Chris Ryder]

One point that maybe worth considering is the political career makers who as a result put that objective above there 'alleged' purpose of serving the people just look at the recent labour Conference were you could see on display there more job applicants lining up than you'd find mingling down at a job centre!, however what did that conference convey to the people from the supposeded governing party? a big fat nothing!, except of course Blair's cringe making self adulation and farewells (or should that be good riddance?), so it's become very clear to many as soon as power is obtained politicians meaning of purpose gets lost and tipped out of the window and you know something the electorate like me have copped on to it hence one of the many reasons for the poor dismissal results at elections, politicians need to get real and start focusing on the peoples wishes again and not there own as to who can get there feet across the threshold of number ten or under the cabinet table for powers sake.

[Patsy Sergeant]

Donal I think that your thesis on this thread is one of the most important that has been posited for a long time.

People have mentioned for months now, on this website, that the only thing that has been motivating this government, since the day that they were elected in 1997 was getting back into power again, and EVERY speech, claim, assertion and denial, is with that in mind.

I also agree that however boring an idea it seems to be, repetition of the 'message' IS the way forward.

We have taken on so much of the American way of life in recent times, that the English trait of UNDERstatement is now mostly misunderstood. Perhaps multiculturalism has something to do with that! But the Americans always seem to use six or seven words, or more, when they could just as well express themselves with three, and many people in this country spend a lot of their time watching American TV. Therefore if a government or would-be government wanted to 'get through' to the non-politically interested public, they would be well-advised to absorb as much as possible of what traditional English people (of which there are still quite a number in the conservative party) would consider over-the-top, repetitive and maybe slightly vulgar, message-making!

[David Sergeant]

"The Machiavellian arts of persuasion, message repetition and pre-emptive rebuttal fall by the wayside and are replaced by managerial and technocratic centred administration."

Exactly. I agree with Patsy (no relation) this is one of the most important threads on this blog for a long time. If the Tory party had taken this on board in 1992/3 politics would have been profoundly different, by now we could have a Tory government, even Blair might not have won in 1997.

I would like to suggest this is copied and sent to all shadow ministers, Tory MPs, Tory candidates and Tory councillors. But, sadly, I suspect most of them couldn't understand or be bothered to take it on board. So, we will control only half the local authorities we should and have a small majority at the next general election instead of demolishing Labour as a serious political force.

[Matt Wright]

Yes, this is a vital article. I'm afraid too many Conservatives are too modest when in office. We do need to set out each activity in office in terms of- This is what we will do, we are about to do it, we are doing it, we have finished it, its has worked well, we made it work well, everything is a great success. Each one of these is at least 1 press release. How many councillors do it, lets be honest very few of us!

Matt

[disillusioned activist]

I hope too that we would be as quick to admit our mistakes when policies do go wrong, apologise and explain publicly how we intend to rectify the matter

How refreshing THAT would be!

[Patsy Sergeant]

I have just remembered something that occurred to me at the Conference - I think it was before David Cameron's last day speech, there was a short film on the history of the Conservative Party and the most notable leaders, and superimposed was appropriate caligraphy for the period. I thought it was very impressive, but more than that I thought that it would make a very effective AND informative Party Political Broadcast!! Because in fact I hadn't realised, exactly, how old the conservative party is, and to be reminded that those famous names, that SOME people learn about at school, were in fact Conservative or Tory leaders, was quite refreshing!

[Off Message]

Don't forget that William Wilberforce was a Tory MP. Labour seem to have tried to make him one of their own - which is smart but should be resisted.

[Tapestry]

Another means by which NuLab has governed, was to redefine our understanding of the word 'truth'. It is quite common for one generation to think that the truth is one thing, and for another generation to think it's another. Truth is all about perception, and this changes over time.

From this start point it is not difficult to take one more step, and say that if you can accelerate a change in perception, you change the truth. Previous to Blair the truth was believed to be unchanging, and only perception of the truth was thought to change.

For a politician being able to alter truth is most convenient, as they can alter their position without being tied down by any strong 'this is the truth' principles.

It was true, for example, according to the government, last week that our Army's prsence was essential to the future of Iraq. Dannatt comes out and says this that this is not the case. Peoples' perceptions were changed.

Yet Blair has no difficulty is stating that he agrees with what Dannatt is saying.

Changing position to match peoples' perceptions at any one time is also known as 'moving to the centre ground'.

Before occupying it, NuLab usually first modified it by moving peoples' perceptions. The only unusual thing in the Dannatt sitaution, is that someone else, Dannatt did the truth-moving for them. The rest is typical. One minute the war's essential. The next, it isn't. All with no great debate, little external loss of face and certainly no internal shame.

The key to it all is the ability not to hold to any principle, and not to feel any shame. If you can do that, then you too could be as great a politican as Tony Blair.

[David Sergeant]

"The key to it all is the ability not to hold to any principle, and not to feel any shame. If you can do that, then you too could be as great a politican as Tony Blair."

This is a main basis for the success of NuLab. They all do it. (e.g. Johnson is proposing what Cameron was calling for at conference, but all comment is about Johnson now.) It is not good enough to blame the media for Labour getting away with it, the main institution designed to cope with this gross devaluing of Britain, politics, even truth itself is the oposition, the Conservative party and it has never seriously attemted to take on Blair. (e.g. Given Blair's change of strategy over Iraq in one week, how about a motion of no confidence - that would bring attention to the madness.) Sadly, the Conservative party seems to have been lead by people without the guts to take a fight to Blair, or they are just too lazy.