David Cameron. Photo credit: BisGovUk, http://www.flickr.com/photos/bisgovuk/6845934969/
Frequently speeches are about introducing a language that leaders hope will frame a debate; sometimes this comes down to the introduction of a single word. One thinks of the current use of the word “exceptionalism” by the different US presidential candidates, or the way the word “growth” has taken over so many speeches across Europe since the New Year, an attempt to divert people’s attention away from that other word – “crisis”.
One key area where UK politicians are jostling for the right language is free enterprise. The financial collapse has not only left a hole in the Treasury but also a political vacuum in terms of positioning.
Prime Minister David Cameron has tried to frame the free enterprise debate with several speeches, most recently at the Business in the Community event in London. His speech was on “Responsible Business” and, unsurprisingly, the key words throughout his remarks were “responsibility” and “responsible”.
“Corporate responsibility is an absolutely vital part of my mission for this government – to build a bigger, stronger society.”
“Personal and business responsibility go hand in hand.”
“I say that core belief – in social responsibility, not state control – is something
we’re never going to change.”
Cameron not only repeats and emphasises “responsibility” in these examples he also relates it to different targets – corporate, personal and social – interweaving these three as he does so. In other words he strengthens the notion of corporate responsibility by association with personal and social responsibility
Later in the speech Cameron made an impassioned defence of free enterprise: “Free enterprise is the best imaginable force for improving our lives and it has a powerful role to play in renewing our country.”
He used almost exactly the same phrase in a speech on January 19th: “I believe that open markets and free enterprise are the best imaginable force for improving human wealth and happiness.”
The speech in January was entitled “Moral Capitalism”. The shift in one month from “moral capitalism” to “responsible capitalism” is interesting – particularly when one considers the speech made by Labour leader Ed Miliband in Sheffield on the 9th of February on the subject of …. “Responsible Capitalism”.
Miliband began the Sheffield speech with an observation on a word he had introduced a year or so ago: “Squeezed middle”. Miliband quipped, “‘[S]queezed middle’ entered the Oxford English Dictionary as the word of the year for 2011. Which is pretty good when you consider it was up against ‘the Arab Spring’ and ‘bunga bunga.’”
Evidently, Miliband understands the power of the single word – indeed one could argue that his leadership largely depends on the success of that single term. Cameron’s speech to Business in the Community shows he acknowledged the danger of letting Labour own the “responsible” and so he chose to nullify that threat – by using the term responsible/responsibility himself no fewer that 20 times in one speech.
It seems the Labour Party and Miliband are seeking to reframe the debate, moving away from “Who do you trust on the economy?” (where they are weak) and to “What sort of economy do you want?”. Cameron is forced to respond. That so many speeches are being made in this area suggests not only that it is “trending” – but that it may become a critical battleground in the run up to the next election.
And finally, there was one other word that Cameron used which stood out in his speech this week: “snobbery”. “We’ve got to take on certain snobbish attitudes. The snobbery that says business has no inherent moral worth like the state does; that it isn’t really to be trusted, that it should stay out of social concerns and stick to making the money that pays the taxes.”
At first “snobbery” seems an odd choice of word. He could have used “prejudice” for example. But “snobbery” is much more loaded. It feels like a taunt; few words enrage the Left more. So it was deliberately provocative – not only to provoke a debate on business, but also it was a good old fashioned Tory taunt. It was saying “Which party really understands business and the economy? We do – the Tories.”
To read the whole of David Cameron’s Speech to Business in the community go to, visit VoiceGig, where you can also find expert analysis of the biggest speeches of the day.
