Cameron’s political language

24 February 2007

The US pollster Frank Luntz has made a huge impact on recent British political conference seasons. Here he explains why the Tory leader is pulling ahead of the Chancellor — and what the American political scene has to teach them both

Instead of fighting to rein in runaway Washington spending, congressional Republicans are requesting more tax money to help preserve the lifestyle to which they have become accustomed. At the same time, the Democrat leadership was initiating proposals to eliminate tax-breaks for Big Oil and raise the minimum wage. It’s no surprise that the Democrats now hold a commanding 20-point lead in whom the Americans want for president in 2008. This is both a colossal failure of communication as well as an embarrassing reminder of how ‘out-of-touch’ Republicans really have become.

As someone who helped to create the message for Republicans in 1994 — and then watched despairingly as the Republicans of 2006 burnt that success to the ground — I would advise Mr Brown and Mr Cameron to look at their American Republican counterparts and observe a perfect case-study of what happens when you ignore the new lexicon of politics. Then consider the following lessons:

• Do not talk about process. People want to hear about results.

• It is not enough to oppose. Voters expect you to propose. ‘No’ cannot be your primary answer.

• Don’t tell people what you want. Ask them what they want.

And most importantly, and at the risk of sounding old-fashioned, simply have the courage of your convictions and the discipline to repeat them again... and again... and again. Wrongheaded ideas will not be saved by right language.

These are the lessons of the new language of politics in an increasingly empathetic and interdependent age. They are the lessons that Republicans ignored at their own peril and Labour is perilously close to abandoning. Gordon Brown may have much to teach David Cameron in the ways of governing, but Cameron is proving to be a better student of language.

Frank Luntz is the author of Words that Work: It’s Not What You Say, It’s What People Hear (Hyperion).