It's very difficult as an adviser when you, y know, tryn to crow bar thit's all l i want and talk to you about. Let's just go back to oneone politician who came unstuck simply because he fell over. Look at nel kennock on the beach. That hasn't aged well in history, has it? No. And those kind of moments do become these very, very difficult, defining moments. But for the brand to work, for the optic to work, it has to be authentic. The person has to be comfortable in it. He was part to start with. Is that what it is? And he wants to project a different image
What does the face of power look like? It’s a question the academic Mary Beard explores in her latest book, Twelve Caesars: Images of Power from the Ancient World to the Modern. She tells Kirsty Wark how the depiction of Roman autocrats have influenced art, culture and the presentation of power for more than two thousand years.
King George III was condemned in the 18th century as ‘the cruellest tyrant of his age’ and depicted as a diminutive and pompous figure in the 21st century musical, Hamilton. These are images the historian Andrew Roberts seeks to counter in his new biography of the King. His revisionist account argues that far from being a tyrant or incompetent he was one of the country’s most admirable monarchs.
Modern political leaders are no strangers to the importance of public image. As the Conservative government holds its party political conference in Manchester the political commentator and sometime-stand-up comedian Ayesha Hazarika looks at how leaders of different parties have tried to stage manage their hold on power.
Producer: Katy Hickman