Prime Ministers in Westminister style democracies are forever talking to and communicating with the electorate. This ground-breaking book explores and analyses the uses of political rhetoric by Prime Ministers to explore patterns of communication and shows that the manner in which they talk to the electorate is central to day-to-day governance.

Illustrations Acknowledgements 1. The Mutual Delusion 2. Extra-Parliamentary Rhetorical Leadership - from Gladstone to Blair 3. The Rhetorical Prime Minister in Comparative Perspective 4. Persuading Voters - Cycles of Election Defining Rhetoric 5. Prime Ministers and Policy Narratives 6. Policy Intervention in Sub-National Jurisdictions 7. Defining a Legacy 8. Prime Ministers and Mandarins - Rhetorical Consistency Across Government 9. Conclusion - In Search of Authenticity Bibliography Index