In this time of crisis there’s nowhere for Boris to hide
IN POLITICS, communication is everything. How effectively a political leader conveys their message to the public is almost as important as the message itself.
Policies are, of course, important, but a leader’s success is just as contingent on their ability to read the room. Their plight is aided when they understand the information they are relaying and, God forbid, if they believe what they are saying.
This may seem superficial. Surely, all that should matter is the information itself. In an ideal world, yes, but as we all know, times are far from ideal.
A politician saying something they don’t really believe but saying it well will fare better than one with serious convictions but poor communication skills.
See how Corbyn was undone by Boris Johnson’s meaningless three-word refrain “Get Brexit Done” for a recent example of this. We like to think all that matters are a politician’s policies. But the tremendous time and resource thrown at strategists and PR wonks behind the curtain of British political theatre tell another story entirely.
Most politicians possess a native and superficial charm which allows them to appear as moderately competent communicators.
But in a time of national crisis such as this, there is nowhere to hide if you do not possess the firmest possible grasp of what the hell is going on around you and why.
The st a rk con t rast in communication ability between Nicola Sturgeon and Boris Johnson, more than any other area of divergence, may explain why the former is more tolerable ( for most people) than the latter. Sturgeon has always been a cautious leader and her tendency to choose her words carefully has shone in recent months.
Despite social distancing measures in Scotland being far harsher than anywhere else in Britain, Sturgeon remains trusted and popular. That fact will infuriate many but it’s true.
Despite the Scottish and UK Governments making similar miscalculations early in the pandemic, Johnson has come off looking distant, disorientated and truly out of his depth.
Johnson is such a poor communicator that his strategists spend a great deal of their energy devising ways to keep him out of public view. Every week, his advisors give him a political sandbox to play in, aware he is incapable of the mental agility required to relay a message that consists of more than three small words. This week, “Build Back Better” represents the full extent of his capability.
In stark contrast, Sturgeon has given daily briefings, and statements to Parliament, outlining not simply the decisions she has taken but also laying out in vivid detail her reasoning for them. This level of disclosure is refreshing. I don’t agree with everything Sturgeon is doing but I understand the internal logic of her choices.
Johnson, on the other hand is a chaotic eruption of mimicked informalities. I get the sense he doesn’t so much as reason through the advice he is given but rather, he selects a course of action much like answering a multiple choice question on a daytime gameshow.
He charmed his way into Downing Street by looking every inch the oaf but because he spoke his nonsense with a confident upper class affectation.
In truth, Johnson is a cypher of cheap dinner party tricks designed to give the appearance of sophistication.
Whether you like, dislike, agree or disagree with Sturgeon, it is undeniable that she possesses a far superior intel lect and communication skillset than blueblooded wannabe Boris Johnson.
I r o n i c then , th a t i t ’s Sturgeon’s “communication” with former mentor and predecessor Alex Salmond that may yet be her undoing.