Brexit and its impacts seem to be everywhere, though this paper intends to produce a fresh, unique and hopefully meaningful contribution to the larger field of post-Brexit scholarly works. This paper will analyse different styles of propaganda, discourse and power related to the use of the language before and after British Referendum, particularly about the City of London. More specifically, this work will try to uncover reasons why London with 72% votes for Remain in comparison with overall British results 52% in favour of Leave. The entire topic will be explored through instruments of discourse, power and propaganda with particularly strong emphasis on using the argument about immigration and struggle with EU policies as major arguments for Leave.
This paper will apply concepts of discourse and power introduced by Teun van Dijk, Lakoff's theory political mind and Mooney's works on language, politics and power. Foucault's idea about Parrhesia and texts by Plato should be discussed as well in the context of UK Referendum campaigns and their moral outcome. Additional scholars such as Ossewarde and Fishman will be used to provide theoretical underpinning, but the work will be mainly based on primary sources, data collection and critical analysis. Abovementioned theories and concepts will be applied to the Brexit campaign and why specific rhetoric techniques and tools of propaganda succeeded or failed in the City of London and how the discourse affected and shaped various London boroughs and communities. Moreover, both Remain and Leave campaigns will be analysed with particular emphasis on rhetoric styles, forms, genres and mind control of the Londoners.
This paper will also try to explain why British citizens living in London responded negatively to UKIP's strong anti-immigration propaganda how it is connected to identify and resists propaganda or fallacies. Hopefully, this work will be able to clarify London's pitiful, but important role in the transformation of vertical power into horizontal control.
Table of Contents
1. The City of London and its significance in dismantling anti-immigrant propaganda and abuse of power during Brexit.
2. “The Golden Quill” and Responsibility
3. TV Debates – The art of speech and the art of rambling
4. Facts and Fairy Tales
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper aims to investigate the linguistic and rhetorical mechanisms used by different media outlets and political actors during the UK Referendum, specifically focusing on why London voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU compared to the rest of the country. It explores how propaganda, discourse, and power dynamics shaped public opinion and seeks to understand the role of Londoners' unique exposure to diverse immigrant communities in resisting xenophobic narratives.
- Critical discourse analysis of Brexit propaganda styles and rhetoric.
- The influence of British tabloid media and TV debates on voter perception.
- Comparison of "Leave" and "Remain" campaign strategies and their success in London.
- Application of political communication theories by van Dijk, Lakoff, and Foucault.
- Analysis of the interplay between identity, power, and democratic accountability.
Excerpt from the Book
Facts and Fairy Tales
The problem was that David Cameron embodied the status of the leader of Remain campaign unofficially and therefore in a case of influential rhetoric, much has remained to be desired. George Lakoff calls this phenomenon of the speaker, who is separated from the audience as being "disembodied" as if both the speaker and audience suddenly unplug from each other. Besides, the leader of Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn drastically fallen behind and even though he was clear supporter of Remain, he did not participate in any of big prime-time TV debates on ITV or BBC. Corbyn expressed his support through brief commentaries or interviews in columns mostly in tabloids, but it was simply not enough. He completely resigned his position of being political elite and therefore having prominent access and remarkable change to influence public opinion of working-class people in London, who in the end voted slightly more for Brexit according to YouGov poll. At the same time, Corbyn awakened shortly after Jo Cox was murdered and during the London vigil he euphemistically declared that “we should solve problems by talking to each other… not by hatred “and “that we (politicians) are nothing, but servants of democracy”. How hypocritical than Nigel Farage has to be when he celebrated Leave victory on June 24 saying that "Brexit has been a historical achievement, without a shot being fired". Late Jo Cox’s husband and two kids would probably disagree. However, Nigel Farage can hardly surprise, since he was by far the most toxic speaker during the UK Referendum with his slogans such as “The British way of life” or “Breaking Point” accompanied by an infamous depiction of neverending lines of potential immigrants from potential – future members of the EU.
Summary of Chapters
The City of London and its significance in dismantling anti-immigrant propaganda and abuse of power during Brexit.: This introduction outlines the core research objective regarding the disparity in Brexit voting patterns in London and introduces the theoretical framework of discourse and power.
“The Golden Quill” and Responsibility: This chapter analyzes how various British tabloids, such as the Daily Express, utilized sensationalist and xenophobic rhetoric to influence public opinion throughout the referendum campaign.
TV Debates – The art of speech and the art of rambling: This section examines the communication strategies of politicians in televised debates, contrasting the emotional appeals of "Leave" proponents with the logical, often defensive explanations of "Remain" politicians.
Facts and Fairy Tales: This chapter evaluates the rhetoric of key political leaders, including David Cameron and Jeremy Corbyn, and discusses the impact of disinformation and the contrasting realities experienced by Londoners.
Keywords
Brexit, City of London, Propaganda, Discourse Analysis, UK Referendum, Xenophobia, Media Influence, Political Rhetoric, Remain, Leave, Immigration, Power Dynamics, British Politics, Tabloid Journalism, Democracy
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper investigates the rhetorical strategies and propaganda used during the UK Referendum, analyzing why London's voting behavior differed significantly from the national result.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The study covers media influence, the role of political rhetoric in public discourse, the impact of immigrant quotas on voting, and the ideological divide between "Leave" and "Remain" campaigns.
What is the central research question?
The work seeks to identify why strong anti-immigrant propaganda was less effective in London compared to the rest of Britain and how linguistic manipulation influenced these results.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The author utilizes critical discourse analysis, applying theoretical concepts from scholars like Teun van Dijk, George Lakoff, and Michel Foucault to examine political campaigns.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body treats the influence of the British tabloid press, the performance of political elites in televised debates, and the contrast between political narratives and the daily realities of Londoners.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
The most relevant keywords include Brexit, Propaganda, Discourse Analysis, London, Media Influence, and Political Rhetoric.
How did the media landscape influence the referendum outcome?
The paper argues that dominant media players, driven by ownership interests and economic ties, used polarizing rhetoric and fabricated stories to solidify specific ideological positions.
What role did London's specific demographics play in the referendum?
The paper suggests that because Londoners are more exposed to diverse immigrant communities in their daily lives, they were better able to identify and resist the xenophobic tropes presented by the "Leave" propaganda.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Dr Martin Mares (Autor:in), 2016, The City of London and Brexit, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/505042
