UK party leaders need authenticity, trust and warmth

After watching the second of the British Prime Ministerial debates on UK TV, and declaring it a three way score draw, I went to bed with a nagging thought: who did Messrs Brown, Cameron and Clegg remind me of? The Three stooges? The Three Witches? The Three Degrees?

Then I realised, they were the triumvirate of Roman leaders in Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra (I knew my A level in Eng Lit would come in handy one day). Not aware of who they are? The first is Anthony, 43 but aging fast. He thought he would be emperor on his own by now, but his strength may be on the wane. Second is the daring and handsome young new comer, Octavius Caesar, with his fresh ideas and smart haircut. Finally, Lepidus, who is politically weak, but a dogged fighter remaining upright in the battle much longer than anyone (including him) expected. How to cast this….tricky.

But what was the plot? Oh yes, they all try to grab power for themselves by courting the beautiful but wily and capricious Queen Cleopatra (in my analogy, that’s us, the voters).


So, if these three leaders were to woo us for one final time, what would they have to do to win my, and your, heart?

My advice, as Cleopatra, without fair or favour, would be this:

Cameron: Dave (sorry) Antony, you have clearly thought long and hard about what type of world you want to lead and how I fit into it. You would make me the centre of your ‘big society’. I like this and about 33% of me is attracted to you, but I have a nagging doubt … at our final romantic tryst I need you to speak straight to me, from your heart and show me an honest passion for what you believe in. Authenticity is what I need from you as a leader.

Clegg: Now then, fresh out of the box, Octavius, what would be my advice to you? Well I like your novelty and you certainly look me straight in the eye. Very good communications skills – you speak fluent human. You want to change the way we choose our lovers (sorry, leaders) and this is beguiling, it makes me feel as if my voice will be heard for ever more. But I need to be confident that you will not just become like all my old lovers and forget me after the fabled Election Day. Trust and consistency is what I need from you as a leader.

Brown: Last, but not least, Lepidus Brown. Ahh, my oldest paramour. Even though it was Blairius Caesar that dumped you on me and we have had our ups and downs, still over a quarter of me wants you by my side. I just don’t know which quarter. As other lovers rain down flowers and jewels, do you pour statistics and initiatives on me. Tip: at wooing time I prefer poetry and big, romantic ideas rather than policy detail. Stir me with your Scottish cadences, embrace me warmly with your passion for social equality but most importantly speak my language. Clarity and warmth is what I need from you as a leader.

And that’s all the advice I have. The problem with these new fangled ‘courting debates’ is that you leaders can only talk about what you will do rather than actually doing it. I have to take a lot on trust. So, speak kindly but with passion for …

… “I do not much dislike the matter, but
The manner of your speech”.
Otherwise I have a handy asp…

Russell Deathridge
Consultant, CHPD