Communicating the Elephant in the Room: The Evolution of British Conservative Leaders’ ‘Strategic Narratives’ About Europe in Their Annual Conference Speeches (2006–2023)

This paper discusses the evolving discursive construction of Europe in the annual conference speeches of British Conservative leaders, from David Cameron’s transformative tenure, after a long spell in the wilderness and years of in-fighting – particularly over Europe – to the more recent keynote address by Rishi Sunak, on the eve of a crucial general election in which the question of migrants coming from Europe was given prominence. It is argued that the discursive image created by Tory leaders’ so-called ‘strategic narratives’ about Europe can shed light on the way they envisage the place, role and identity of the United Kingdom in today’s world. After exploring the way strategic narratives can inform our understanding of international relations and political communication, the article goes on to analyse critically how such narratives have partially shaped the way recent Prime Ministers have framed their connection – or lack thereof – with their closest neighbours.