Linguopragmatic features of strategic maneuvering in British political discourse (based on speeches by Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer)

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to identify the linguopragmatic features of strategic maneuvering in English-language political discourse under conditions of a systemic crisis associated with the United Kingdom’s economic situation and migration policy. The study analyzes the ways in which the crisis situation is reconceptualized in the rhetoric of former Prime Ministers Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer through the selection of topics, the management of the utterance’s argumentative potential, and the construction of pragmatically significant oppositions embodied in managerial and critical models of communication within political discourse. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the fact that, based on official speech texts by British political leaders, it provides the first systematic description of universal and author-specific tactics of strategic maneuvering in a situation of political crisis, determined by differences in communicative style and the stage of destabilization of the situation. The study establishes that Rishi Sunak’s rhetoric is dominated by a managerial discursive model aimed at legitimizing the policies implemented by the government under his leadership by shifting the audience’s attention toward the effectiveness of public administration and social support measures. By contrast, Keir Starmer’s speeches implement a critical discursive model based on highlighting shortcomings in the existing governance system, criticizing the previous government, and substantiating the need for institutional reforms.