The communications dilemma of PartyGate

Giles Kenningham | Issue 6 | Comment, In-House Public Affairs, Lobbying, Magazine, Uncategorised

From the Archive

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 26: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson returns to 10 Downing Street after attending the weekly Prime Ministers Questions on January 26, 2022 in London, England. On Tuesday, the Met Police announced an investigation into the potential criminality of parties held in the Downing Street complex during the pandemic lockdowns. It is expected that the report from Sue Gray, the civil servant leading a government investigation into these parties, will still be released in the coming days. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 26: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson returns to 10 Downing Street after attending the weekly Prime Ministers Questions on January 26, 2022 in London, England. On Tuesday, the Met Police announced an investigation into the potential criminality of parties held in the Downing Street complex during the pandemic lockdowns. It is expected that the report from Sue Gray, the civil servant leading a government investigation into these parties, will still be released in the coming days. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

David Cameron's former Head of Press at No 10 recalls the vital and prescient lessons of 2011's phone hacking scandal

A little over three months ago Boris Johnson’s political obituary was being written. Now the war in Ukraine has bought him political time and potential favourability, with his approval ratings reaching levels not seen since the before the PartyGate scandals first erupted in December. But can Johnson recover in the long term from such a brutal political scandal?

Unlike other government departments, where politicians can adopt a submarine strategy – the modus operandi of both Theresa May and Gordon Brown before they became prime minister – you are completely exposed in Number 10. When a crisis hits, it hits like a tsunami. 

While other scandals have dogged the Johnson government, PartyGate has been remarkable in the cut-through it achieved. A big part of what fuelled this was that huge numbers of people up and down the country could relate to the anger and disappointment it provoked, due to the unique sacrifices required by the pandemic. This was compounded by a failure to get all the bad news out at once, leading to a prolonged and damaging trail of stories.

The corrosive leaking destroyed trust within the building and, more importantly, with the public. Ukraine may provide some cover in the short term, but ultimately the Conservatives will have to confront the question of whether or not their brand has been damaged beyond repair. 

This scandal is reminiscent of the phone …

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