The discursive reconstruction of poor electoral performance: the British Trotskyist left and the 2010 General Election |
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Authors: | John Kelly |
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Affiliation: | Department of Management, Birkbeck College, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX, UK |
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Abstract: | This paper is situated within the rhetorical turn in political science and investigates the discourses constructed by Trotskyist parties in order to justify the policy of electoral participation despite poor electoral performance. A wide range of texts are examined from eight organizations that contested seats in the 2010 UK General Election. The thrust of Trotskyist discourse downplayed dismal vote totals, contextualizing them by reference to pro-Labour tactical voting and elaborating a variety of benefits that emerged from electoral participation. It is argued that such analysis could usefully be incorporated into the study of party responses to electoral problems and setbacks. |
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