Page 164 - An Introduction to Political Communication Third Edition

POLITICAL PUBLIC RELATIONS

moments at party conferences, over such issues as the reform of
Clause Four of the constitution and other cherished ‘old Labour’
policies. Despite such moments of ‘reality intrusion’, nevertheless,
Labour, like the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, had by
the 1990s been persuaded of the need to apply the principles of
pseudo-eventing to its public gatherings and become increasingly
adept at applying them – though with some notable exceptions.
During the 1992 election campaign, such was the manufactured
quality of the major Labour rally that its construction became a
news story in itself, backfiring on the party’s efforts to present itself
as modern and media-literate. The Sheffield rally of 4 April 1992,
has passed into British political mythology as an example of
the point at which the construction of pseudo-events for media
consumption crosses the line from acceptable public relations
activity to cynical manipulation. Credited by some commentators
as contributing substantially to the ‘late swing’ which is said to have
deprived Labour of victory, the event is a further example of
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the politicians’ difficulty in controlling ‘free media’. Designed to
portray an image of the party a few days before the election as
supremely confident in itself and its leader, Neil Kinnock, the
Sheffield rally was instead interpreted by the (mostly Tory) media as
demonstrating arrogance. Kinnock’s evangelistic style at the rally
seemed stilted and embarrassing, the media suggested, rather
than, as had been intended, relaxed and youthful. The exact role of
the Sheffield rally in Labour’s 1992 defeat cannot be known with
precision, but there is certainly force in the argument that it
provoked in many members of the audience a sense of unease. The
presumption of victory which underpinned the event was premature,
and an indicator of complacency. The event gave off what were, for
Labour, unwelcome connotations.
Pseudo-events can also be organised on a much smaller scale than
the full conference or rally. An essential part of modern political
campaigning is the setting up of ‘photo-opportunities’ (with
accompanying soundbites). In the 1979 election campaign
Margaret Thatcher spent a considerable portion of her time touring
factories, donning white coats and, in the most famous example,
holding a calf at an agricultural enterprise. For the journalists
covering the campaign these events provided excellent news
material, if not information about the Conservatives’ political
programme. Their need for broadcastable material was satisfied,
as was the aspiring Prime Minister’s hunger for exposure and
publicity.

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