Help! I've been smugged! Labour's PR hitting new lows

A lot of people have been making far too much of Peter Mandelson’s appearance on The Andrew Marr show yesterday (...about 40 mins in).

But I’m sorry, it wasn’t “a victory for media training”. Media training is intended to enable the subject of an interview to get key messages across with conviction and empathy, while confidently dodging the potholes in the road that draw in less practiced speakers whose only defence is often to then start digging even deeper.

I certainly would never advise media trainers teach the art of smug self-satisfaction or the virtues of bullying, browbeating or patronising an interviewer. And, when training a politician they certainly shouldn’t advise a performance so entirely out of touch with the mood of the electorate.

And, a small point but I'd probably also coach them away from using phrases such as "Chinese whispers".

Sure, Mandelson did an artful, if arrogant job of speaking while not actually saying anything. And of course such verbal jousting makes interesting viewing for those of us who like the sport of it all. But for the vast majority watching on a Sunday morning it will have come across as a crass and insensitive distillation of the very characteristics which have taken our politicians' reputations to a new low.

As if they needed telling, it’s not been a good few days for Labour, made far worse by the poor quality of preparedness to face the media.

I’m sure many people spotted the statement from Jack Straw, justice minister, last week following the trial and conviction of two men who brutally tortured two French students, Laurent Bonomo and Gabriel Ferez.

The bit that stood out for me was: “In relation to the failings of the probation service, I take full responsibility as secretary of state. They were unacceptable and had tragic consequences.”

So, what action would Straw think appropriate for a secretary of state who takes “full responsibility” for failings that led directly to the death of two people?

Oh, sorry, the statement was the action you say...? So it was just a hollow and meaningless statement. At worst cowardly, at best deceitful and opportunistic.

Less concerning, but evidence of the same poor preparation, Andy Burnham, now sat in the Department of Health, last night told viewers of the BBC’s election coverage that he thinks the Prime Minister "is doing an excellent job”.

It’s surely possible to sound loyal without making yourself sound absurd.

To some, it may still seem churlish to discuss the role of PR in the serious world of politics but it is absolutely key. Much of the current crisis is about confidence; confidence which has been eroded and continues to be eroded by examples such as those above and by other PR blunders such as Gordon Brown's YouTube video or his phone calls to Piers Morgan and Simon Cowell and subsequent GMTV appearance discussing Susan Boyle.