Search results for "PMQs"
showing 4 items of 4 documents
The Conservatives’ representation of socialism and liberalism during PMQs since the 1990s
2022
The Conservatives’ representation of socialism and liberalism during PMQs since the 90s.Socialism and liberalism are ideologies which, in Michael Freeden’s terms “are not an exact representation of an ideational reality, but a symbolic reconstruction of it”. Drawing on this premise this paper seeks to analyse how and to what end the Conservatives have made a symbol out of (Labour’s) socialism and (the Conservatives’) liberalism through parliamentary discourse (esp. during PMQs). This process of symbolization through specific rhetoric means results in a clear-cut ideological divide between parties offering an (over)simplified view of the political world. However, symbols are fluid and can ev…
Quieter and more civilised but not more accountable
2020
International audience; Pmqs as a tool to hold the government to account has long been dismissed as a counter-productive “Punch and Judy show”. Since the Covid-19 restrictions came into effect in the House of Commons, those sessions have become less crowded and notably quieter. This unprecedented state of affairs have considerably undermined the “tribal effect” typical of parliamentary groups during Pmqs. Additionally the video conferencing technology requires more attention and calm in the house. Consequently, the confrontational quality of the debates has turned into an uncharacterically pacified moment. The number of interruptions and face attacking acts (insults) have been reduced to no…
The strategic use of One Nation as a symbol during PMQs from J. Major to T. May
2023
One Nation, as a conceptual construct which started to develop since the 19th century has often been associated with the Conservative Party’s politics regarding their effort to bridge the gap between “the two nations” (the underprivileged and the well-off members of society) and in the elevation of the condition of the people in the UK (a requisite for social harmony). Most recent conservative Prime Ministers have been eager to present their own version of the One Nation tradition based on their views of the role the state should play (either limited or extended state intervention). David Seawright explains that these conflicting stances are not expressed in a strict polarisation within the…
L’attaque verbale : norme discursive et culturelle pendant les Prime Minister’s Questions
2023
La culture parlementaire du parlement britannique à Westminster est façonnée par des coutumes, des traditions, des rites et des conventions facilement reconnaissables, notamment lors des questions au Premier ministre (Prime Minister’s Questions ou PMQ). Le débat, en tant qu’activité inhérente au parlement, fait du discours parlementaire une caractéristique de cette culture. La prise de parole des députés, soumise aux règles et aux normes très formelles de la Chambre, sont censées, selon le guide de bonne conduite, Erskine May, refléter les caractéristiques du langage parlementaire telles que « la bonne humeur et la modération » (E. May 2019). De telles règles ne semblent pas superflues au r…