• What Labour’s Brexit motion means in practice

    Paula Keaveney, Edge Hill University As Labour delegates gathered in Liverpool, it was impossible to avoid mentions of Brexit. There are 25 separate fringe meetings listed on the conference agenda and there are certain to be more meetings arranged on the fly. The challenge Labour faces, whether at conference or immediately afterwards, is that it…

  • JARED O’MARA AND WHAT LABOUR NEEDS TO DO NEXT

    In a few days we have seen an MP’s past become a problem, an inquiry launched, a resignation, a suspension and any number of new stories and commentators emerge. In a few days an obscure back bench MP has been on every news and political programme with his party playing catch up to deal with…

  • Ambitious leader speech sees Vince Cable aiming for the top job

    Paula Keaveney, Edge Hill University As the Liberal Democrats met for their first conference since the 2017 general election, many were feeling disappointed at the state of things. The party came away with a mere 12 election victories after mistakenly believing the Brexit referendum had given it a branding which would help it capture more…

  • A council has been intercepting emails to elected officials – here’s why that matters

    Paula Keaveney, Edge Hill University Emails from local people to elected councillors have been intercepted by officials at Liverpool City Council. It’s not clear whether this involves a large or small group of people, but a recent example, and the council’s response to it, has shown that this is a practice that has been going…

  • How PR giant Bell Pottinger made itself look bad

    Paula Keaveney, Edge Hill University The reputation of global PR company Bell Pottinger has suffered a massive blow. The boss has resigned, clients have walked, the firm has been expelled from the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) – and it has now put itself up for sale. All because of its work on a…

  • PR challenges facing Vince Cable

    By Paula Keaveney, senior lecturer in PR and Politics It is all change at the top of the Liberal Democrats, with Vince Cable replacing Tim Farron. Cable’s  position comes as a result of Farron standing down in the wake of the most recent General Election. The Lib Dems will forgo a leadership election though as Cable…

  • Why Andy Burnham’s Manchester could change the face of UK politics

    Paula Keaveney, Edge Hill University So, with the result of the Greater Manchester metro mayor election declared, Andy Burnham completes his move from opposition MP to local leader. Burnham’s decision to stand for the new post was seen by many as a signal that for ambitious Labour politicians, the place of power may no longer…

  • Shock reaction to election proves May and her team know what they are doing

    Paula Keaveney, Edge Hill University Britain had barely returned from its Easter break when the press reported that Theresa May, the prime minister, was to make a statement in Downing Street. After an hour’s frenzied speculation about what she might say, May stepped up to a podium in front of Number 10 and announced that…

  • Hillary Clinton’s concession speech – a class political act

    It’s normal for conceding presidential candidates to give their speech in the middle of the night, as their guests are still at HQ and the final results are trickling in. Hillary Clinton, however, decided not to do that after losing the 2016 election to Donald Trump. Instead her team arranged for a mid-morning speech on…

  • Britain’s first post-Brexit by-election a triumph for Liberal Democrats

    For those who like to read the runes of politics, parliamentary by-elections are a gift. Each local area of course has its own characteristics but these contests offer a snapshot verdict on the government and major parties between general elections. It’s also a chance for those parties to try out and refine campaigning techniques. The…