A Chancellor's budget speech was once the highlight of a Parliamentary season. And, for a governing party its importance was beyond doubt. But now, if anything, a budget speech seems to have greater frequency and less substance. Now that's probably because during the last ten years or so the United Kingdom's budget speech has alternated between Spring time and the Autumn. Or so we thought. Because most of us tuned out years ago. So, what would be the reaction to a Jeremy Hunt budget speech this month?
Not great. Of course there are few if any speeches that command such attention before their delivery. Certainly not the King's speech or even a Donald Trump victory speech. Perhaps a State of the Union address comes close.
So there was considerable speculation and rumour about the contents of the Jeremy Hunt budget speech. It appeared to fill the airwaves for days, if not weeks leading up to the early March speech.
Hunt Budget Speech Doesn't Deliver
But was it all worth it? Because after all the hype and speculation, the Jeremy Hunt budget speech was a thoroughly lacklustre affair.
Now it's true that the budget speech follows a conventional formula. However, it's still an inordinately dull bit of political theatre from a government that struggles to be relevant.
Of course that's a problem. Not least because the speech was brimful with wily tax schemes to squeeze more and more from the public.
Were there any redeeming points? We struggled to find any since Jeremy Hunt delivered his budget speech in a particularly dull, flat monotone. Do you think there's a public speaking guide for Chancellor's in His Majesty's Treasury? If there is, then I'll volunteer to re-write it.
Had the full vocal range been squeezed out of him by his late night in the office or his early morning run? Perhaps we'd suggest that on this evidence neither late-night work nor early morning 17-mile running are conducive to the task of giving a budget speech.
Glimmers of Oratory in this Hunt Budget Speech
Yes, we spotted some metaphor. Because we always do in an economy speech. But this wasn't the maritime metaphor that we heard in a George Osborne budget speech. Because there was no chart, navigation, choppy waters, stormy conditions or course setting. And, of course, there was no mention of horizons for obvious political reasons.
Yet despite the most challenging economic headwinds in modern history
We heard the listing technique so loved by George Osborne. But it was isolated near the conclusion to his speech.
It delivers…
More investment.
More jobs.
Better public services.
And lower taxes.
Budget Speech Reaches its Conclusion
Perhaps Jeremy Hunt wanted to put all his effort into his finale, because we also heard a "not this, but that" statement at the end. These are great favourites with all the Whitehall speechwriters.
But dynamism in an economy doesn’t come from ministers in Whitehall.
It comes from the grit and determination of people who take risks, work hard and innovate.
And to polish off the whole tawdry affair we heard some repetition,
A plan to grow the economy.
A plan for better public services.
A plan to make work pay.
Growth up, jobs up and taxes down.
I commend this Statement to the House.
I can't imagine there are any Conservative MPs who would have swapped places with the Chancellor for this budget speech. And, perhaps that says more about the government than the Chancellor alone.
How You Can Give Your Set-Piece Speech
Very few of us are ever going to give a Chancellor's budget speech. Yet the opportunities for you to deliver an impactful set-piece speech are many. So, when the occasion arises, here are some tips for you to be ready.
- 1Prepare a suitable backdrop that's not set to fall to pieces.
- 2Plan, organise and write your speech well in advance.
- 3Practise and edit your speech for the best possible flow and delivery.
- 4Plan to the time available, and don't go over budget.
- 5Prepare for questions and practise the answers.
You'll find plenty of top public speaking tips on this site. And with more than 100 top tips for speakers there's something for everyone. And when you are ready to invest that little bit extra in your public speaking, then please don't hesitate to get in touch about training.
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