.png)
Alma-Pierre Bonnet tells us about his latest Journal of Language and Politics article, “The rock of stability?” A critical narrative analysis of Keir Starmer’s storytelling as opposition leader (2020–2024), explaining how it links to his past and future research.
what intrigued me the most, and what incited me to write this article, is the way Starmer managed to construct a credible Labour ethos, after the Corbyn experience and within a post-Brexit context in which the UK has to find a new role in the world.
Why did you decide to write this piece?
In a previous interview for this blog (30 September 2024), I explained that I wanted to continue exploring the rhetorical power of narratives in political discourse and maybe focus on Keir Starmer to provide some insight into the way he justifies his political ambition and builds his ethos through narratives. Current British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is indeed, arguably, valuable research material, in particular from the perspective of a French scholar working on the role and influence of narratives in political communication.
We do not know much about him in France and his landslide victory in 2024 was not much of a surprise after the last few difficult years of the Conservative Party, which did nothing to improve our perception of the Perfide Albion (the old derogatory term for Britain, principally in France, in the 19th century, and mainly found today in French newspapers to gently mock the perceived singularity of British people). But Starmer’s will to “reset” links with Europe, his seemingly positive relations with Emmanuel Macron and the mere fact that he succeeded one of the least popular Labour leaders in history has raised curiosity, at least for British Studies scholars (there was, for example, a big conference organised in Paris on the 2024 GE in February in which his victory was obviously discussed in depth).
From a personal perspective, what intrigued me the most, and what incited me to write this article, is the way Starmer managed to construct a credible Labour ethos, after the Corbyn experience and within a post-Brexit context in which the UK has to find a new role in the world. No small task actually, and he seems to have achieved this objective, in part, through the stories he told about his personal life and about the way he envisaged the role of political leader. This is why Starmer represents a case in point as far as my research interests are concerned and even if his supposed lack of charisma is often pointed out, the narratives he drew on to justify his claim to power are quite relevant.
What are the key takeaways?
The main contribution of my paper, I hope, lies in the special methodology that I apply to the study of narratives in political discourse. It allows me to both reveal the rhetorical levers that Starmer draws on to build his ethos and lay bare the logical structure of a key aspect of his communication which might go unnoticed under the cover of the narrative format. Surprisingly, or not, Starmer appears to be a fantastic storyteller and even if he was at some point accused of talking about his family and his working-class background ad nauseam, his narratives are extremely coherent and seem to outline a communication strategy based on the construction of a compelling image of a working-class hero. As such, his narratives allow him to answer potential criticisms about his background and to address concerns about his leadership and personal motivation, while detoxifying the Labour brand and reconnecting with disappointed Labour voters as well as weary floating voters, and maybe even Conservative-minded voters for whom family and work, the bedrock of Starmer’s narratives, are fundamental.
One last element of interest is the ability of Starmer’s narratives to help us understand his political agenda and his ideological position, which was not a given when he took over the reins of the party after Jeremy Corbyn. As such, the narratives he drew on during his time in opposition might inform us about the direction he could take as British Prime Minister and the overall ambition of the country under his leadership (concerning Europe, the EU, the USA, the NHS, etc.) after the divisive years of Corbynism and the chaotic and dramatic finale of Tory leadership.
Where do you plan to go next in your research?
The study of narratives in political discourse is such an exiting and prolific field of research that I will most certainly continue exploring the rhetorical possibilities offered by the narrative format. I am lucky enough to work in a very dynamic research laboratory at my home university in Lyon, France (The CEL | Linguistics Research Center - Corpus, Discourse and Societies). We are currently in the process of organising international conferences on Political narratives (15 and 16 May 2025) and the creation and role of emotions in political discourse (9 and 10 October 2025), with multiple publications to follow.
On a personal level, I intend to write a monograph on narratives in political communication in order to further refine the methodology applied in this article and in several others. I would also like to make the most of the international dimension of my research lab, and its keen focus on collaboration with other (international) entities, so as to work on projects linked to the study of narratives in political discourse, maybe from a comparative angle (France/ UK; UK/ USA, etc.), as the current international and geopolitical situation offers significant source material.