Critically assess the view that politicians increasingly ‘pa

“The government’s policies are like cornflakes - if they are not marketed, they will not sell”, said Lord Young in the 1980s, when commenting on the shift in the extent and nature of the politicians’ ‘packaging’ of policy. Although Lord Young adopted a rather sceptical view towards this, the idea of political marketing has existed since the start of the 20th century, when the first Press Officers and Press Bureau were introduced by the …

…politics is ‘packaged’. Reputation and image has become one of the main, if not the main, priorities and the government devote a lot of time, money and resources towards their appearance. Their skill and adeptness at using the media has meant they are guaranteed coverage on a daily basis - whether the public are as quick or as keen to consume politics is a question answered by the voter turnout figures from the last election.