Mr Chris Smith

Iam currently in the forth year of a part-time PhD project, currently titled "Lower 
than Vermin? A Rhetorical Political Analysis of Invective in Parliament, 1971–2024".

My thesis seeks to provide a small-scale investigation into the perception that modern politicians are more insulting, and political rhetoric less civil than in the past. This is explored by examining PMQs and parliamentary debates on Britain’s relationship with the European Union (formerly European Economic Community).

My research uses Rhetorical Political Anlysis (RPA), derived from Aristotle's theories, to identify and examine how politicians use the three persuasive methods of: ethos, appeals to character; pathos, appeals to emotion and logos appeals to reason to give thier rheotric persuasive force. This method allowing engagment with widely held perceptions that modern political rhetoric is less concerned with persuasion through reasoned debate and more concerned with denouncing opponenets. I look forward to identifying continuities and changes to rheotical practise over recent history.   

Before beginign my studies at the OU I worked as secondary school teacher of history and politics, in Norwich teaching mostly A - Level but also GCSE and some Key Stage 3.

I left teaching in 2021 to work full time for the Nationl Education Union as a regional trade union official which afforded me the work life balance to undertake my PhD, an ambition I had held since completing my MA back in 2010

Leaving the clasroom to have more time for politics, to paraphrase Tony Benn, also emabled me to be elected to Norwich City Council in 2024 as a Labour councillor. 

Spending most of profesional life thus far talkign about politics to various audiences has led to my fascination with the significance and working of rhetoric in how politics is conducted and understood. Iam very greatful to now be able to explore this fully at the OU and have been able to present some of my findings to the wider acadmeic community at the EPOP and PSA conferences. 

I look forward to meeting and collaborating with more colleagues and friends to be made in the persuite of making sense of the words and language that makes up our politics.