http://www.bespokespeeches.com/blog Speechwriters Blog on Speechwriting Mon, 16 Aug 2010 20:43:59 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I'm all for using words with powerful connotations but John Prescott went way over the line calling Alan Milburn a 'collaborator' for accepting a role as social mobility csar in the new coalition government. Whether it was Prescott's intent to invoke associations with the Nazis or not that was certainly the ... http://www.bespokespeeches.com/blog/word-war-ii/ I helped write an editorial for today's Guardian on the timeless wonder of the rule of three. The link is here: http://bit.ly/ciqkIt http://www.bespokespeeches.com/blog/in-praise-of-the-rule-of-three/ I have always been a huge fan of Jon Cruddas so it is in a spirit of great affection that I point out this sentence from his Guardian article today: 'These problems existed beneath the radar before the recession struck in 2008, but they were masked by the fruits of an ... http://www.bespokespeeches.com/blog/cruddas-a-man-of-many-metaphors/ Bespoke has just published a detailed study on the language of the two main parties, previewed in tomorrow's Guardian http://bit.ly/8XkcyA Key insights include 1. Average Labour sentence is 19 words. Average Conservative sentence is 14 words. 2. Labour use two and half times as many stats as Conservatives. Conservatives tell two and half times ... http://www.bespokespeeches.com/blog/political-language/ The location for yesterday's launches will have been carefully pondered by party strategists. A well selected backdrop can send a powerful message and no backdrops could be more iconic or meaningful than those on show yesterday. Brown chose Number 10, surrounded by his highly experienced Cabinet, chest puffed out like a ... http://www.bespokespeeches.com/blog/a-picture-is-worth-a-thousand-words/ As I cycled in this morning, I saw the satellite vans outside Buck Palace and a throng of cameraman around the back of Downing Street. I then saw a very excited looking Minister who told me he was on his way to the Dissolution Cabinet (and feeling confident!). Now, the ... http://www.bespokespeeches.com/blog/election-fever/ Tony Blair is supposed to have given a speech today backing Gordon Brown. However, having read the speech, that's not quite the impression I'm getting. The theme of the speech is exposed in the opening paragraph: 'I'm optimistic about Britain - provided we take the right decisions, imbued with the right attitude of ... http://www.bespokespeeches.com/blog/pm-for-pm-ponders-former-pm/ Nice use of metaphor by Brown today as he unveiled Whitehall's worst-kept secret, that the Budget will be held on 24th March. He's run with a 'stormy waters' metaphor. 'Whilst we have come through the worst of this dreadful storm, the waters are still choppy. We have got through this ... http://www.bespokespeeches.com/blog/stormy-waters/ http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/yes-minister-meets-alice-in-wonderland-20100220-omsa.html A wonderful story from a (short-lived) speechwriter at the Australian Department of Health. Of course, Whitehall speechwriter inductions are much more thoughtfully organised... http://www.bespokespeeches.com/blog/a-ministerial-speechwriter-at-the-department-of-health-spills-the-beans/ For the last thirteen years, Alastair Darling has tested to the limit Harold Wilson's aphorism that, 'The power to bore is one of the most powerful weapons in the politician's arsenal.' His speeches have ranked amongst Whitehall's dullest - lacking stories, soundbites, imagery or argument. But this style enabled Darling to ... http://www.bespokespeeches.com/blog/everything-alright-darling/