Political interviewers like to pretend that they are are asking genuine questions to their political guests. But sometimes it is …
“Can I explain why?” “No explain how.”
Andrew Neil interviewed Jeremy Corbyn on BBC television tonight. Neil is a forensic interviewer who usually pins his interviewees down …
I AM answering your question
Politicians often get accused of not answering questions but sometimes they fight back as Andy McDonald did on Friday.
Eye fluttering
Politicians use all means to try and grab and hold the floor during interviews including non-verbal means. Nigel Farage has …
New species observed since Brexit referendum
Brexit has not only changed the political landscape but has also given rise to a number of new species in …
Interruptions at Prime Minister’s Questions
Interruptions at PMQs (Prime Minister’s Questions) are recorded in Hansard in a limited way, usually through the insertion of the …
Revealing ‘ah’ in PMQs
In a previous post I have argued that the house is a multi-faceted chamber with comments and background noise from members of …
Hesitations
Hesitations are a natural part of unscripted spoken language. We all hesitate from time to time while speaking for various …
Grayling’s grilling
Political interviewing can be a frustrating affair when the politician being interviewed refuses to answer directly the questions put to …
Slip-squared
Slips of the tongue can be embarrassing for anyone speaking in public, but when the slip occurs twice in quick …
The language of U-turns
We all have to make U-turns in our lives sometimes: reversing our car when we realise we’ve gone down the …
Chuntering from a sedentary position
John Bercow, the Speaker of the House of Commons, likes to pick up on members who ‘chunter from a sedentary …
Can I say s**t in the House of Commons?
Certain words in the House of Commons are normally taboo but sometimes it is possible to get away with using …
Exasperation and incredulity!
Political commentators and journalists all have their own idiosyncratic styles when interviewing politicians. Emily Maitlis, the BBC Newsnight commentator, often …
Gove’s Gestures
Michael Gove, Conservative MP, serves up some curious hand gestures while speaking including teacup gestures and steeple Vulcans. Here are …
Conversation Analysis – BBC Question Time (part 1)
Editor: The BBC’s Question Time programme on Thursday nights seems to court controversy these days as we hold it to ever …
Conversation Analysis – BBC Question Time (part 2)
Editor: This is part 2 of the blog on the BBC Question Time programme. Part 1 is here.
Holding the floor: Eyes down
The eyes play an important part in human communication. They can signal an intention to communicate and sometimes act to …
The many faces of ‘no’
Theresa May seems to have developed many ways of saying ‘no’ without actually meaning it. In her interview with Andrew …
Bad things always come in threes
One way to put a politician on the spot is to ask them how many people have been affected by …
Two ‘fakes’ raise the stakes
Conversation can sometimes be like a game of poker, raising and doubling stakes, as the Andrew Marr Show demonstrated on …
a/the Single Market
It seems strange that two of the smallest and most commonest words in the English dictionary could cause confusion between …
Interview terminated!
Richard Madeley knows when to shut down an interview. On ITV’s Good Morning Britain, he abruptly brought his interview with …
A brief bit of brevity
Prime Minister’s question time (PMQs) is known for lengthy questions and answers from Prime Ministers and backbenchers so it was …
This can be a one word answer if you wouldn’t mind?
Interviewers don’t always get what they ask for but when they do, it can often cause difficulties for the interview.