What is your overall take on May’s performance in the recent general election?
Chaotic. Catastrophic. To go seeking a mandate she didn’t need, on a manifesto which pretty much set out to infuriate precisely the demographic within which the Tories are strong (the elderly) would be bad with a capital B. But to allow a seven week campaign was a rookie error. Within three weeks, a governing party can create momentum and keep the campaign on track. Seven weeks is too long. It inevitably allows for mistakes, and she certainly made a few.
Did you identify any strategic shortcomings that contributed to the Conservatives’ result?
Failure to appreciate the Prime Minister’s media inadequacies has to come top of the list. Her appearance on Jeremy Paxman argues that nobody did proper media training with her, because if there’s one thing sure about Paxman, it is that he is predictable. That seems to have led to her ceding the ensuing TV debate to Jeremy Corbyn, who at that point was lit up and raring to go. These two major errors, which were strategic in nature, led to tactical failure. Nobody seems to have figured out that social media would take her to the cleaners after Paxman, and the Conservatives mounted no fightback worth the name. Making the claim that she wanted to be out meeting the real people meant that mainstream media pursued her like hounds, capturing pictures and stories of a rigid, dull and limited personality being dumped upon by angry voters.
Since election day, how has may and her party performed from a PR point of view?
Badly. Her robotic initial media performance was so bad, particularly in its failure to apologise to or express sympathy with Conservatives who had lost their seats, that party members insisted she go right back out. Which she did. And appeared even more robotic, repeating the same statements about them “not deserving” their loss so frequently, she seemed to have mechanical failure. No cohesion on the broader front, possibly because she had kept the broader front in the dark about her intentions, closeting herself with her two joint chiefs of staff, who then got their P45s, leaving no communications or policy infrastructure in place. Even the best seagoing vessels requires lifeboats and drills to make sure the right people get into the right boats. This assuredly wasn't the best vessel, but it doesn’t seem to have as much as armbands ready for the possibility of being dropped in the drink.
May has stated her determination to make amends for her mistakes. Is this possible? And if so, what role will PR play in that turnaround?
Now, to be fair to her, this Prime Minister
does know how to do a good apology. Abject. Simple. Humble. It may take her a few days to get around to it, but you have to hand it to her, when she does it, she does it right.
Will it be enough? Anybody who works with politicians will confirm that when a former rival for the job makes admiring noises about the apology made by the job-holder after a cock-up, that makes everybody feel good. And it loosens the gate for another contest. Boris talking about a “stonking” good apology performance by his leader is a perfect case in point.
PR has damn all to offer in the short term. Theresa May has grievously weakened her government’s stand
vis-a-vis Brexit and everything else. She will govern – for as long as she governs – in hock to the DUP, which will have de-stabilising effects on Northern Ireland. Look at it this way. If both your legs are broken, it takes time and crutches and physio before you can begin to walk properly again. Dancing comes later. And PR, in this instance, is the equivalent of Strictly…
What in your view is the one lesson business leaders should draw from the Conservative’s campaign?
65% of polls and 72% of focus groups get it wrong 83% of the time (according to market research).
Eoghan McDermott is a Director of The Communications Clinic and heads up their Training and Careers Divisions. www.communicationsclinic.ie @EoghanMcDermott