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Volume 36, Issue 1
  • ISSN 1387-6740
  • E-ISSN: 1569-9935
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Abstract

This article discusses the use of so-called “family narratives” in political discourse by analysing critically the way opposition leaders have resorted to this type of narratives in the United Kingdom. It is argued that family narratives represent a discursive gateway out of the political wilderness and back into contention for national leadership. They enable politicians to convey positive values that serve a three-fold process: the elaboration of a powerful ethos, the modernisation of their party and the rebranding of their party as a caring political organisation. Within a CDA framework, we analyse the relevance of family narratives in political communication and how they help opposition leaders reconnect emotionally with voters, after long spells in the wilderness. This is why we focus specifically on Tony Blair, David Cameron and Keir Starmer. The article also reveals how those narratives are instrumental in a new conception of masculinity and leadership in the UK.

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2025-09-11
2026-05-17

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Family narratives as a way out of the political wilderness?
Narrative Inquiry 36, 111 (2026); https://doi.org/10.1075/ni.24112.bon
/content/journals/10.1075/ni.24112.bon
/content/journals/10.1075/ni.24112.bon
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  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): Blair; Cameron; critical narrative analysis; discourse analysis; family narratives; masculinity; party conference; political communication; Starmer

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