THE DISCREDITING OPPONENT TACTICS IN THE UK PRIME MINISTER QUESTION TIME DISCOURSE, 09.04.19

Abstract

The following work deals with the discrediting tactics within the Question Time of the UK Prime Minister, discourse, 09.04.19 investigation. The Question Time of the UK Prime Minister discourse is defined in the given work as subtype of a parliamentary debates discourse with the global strategic purpose to gain and retain power in the country, which is realized through the immediate strategic purposes and by the certain tactics and techniques usage. The discrediting opponent tactics within the Question Time of the UK Prime Minister discourse is determined by the opposition "the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnsons and Opposition MPs with Jeremy Corbyn at the head" and is defined in our work as a communicator actions set to diminish the valuable essence of the leader / member of the opposite, competitive party or of the party as a whole. It is proposed to differentiate the individual and collective opponent. The discrediting tactics within the given discourse are proposed to be grouped and classified into: discrediting tactics dealing with the opponent negative features based on the opponent system of values; discrediting tactics referring also to the self-presenting tactics; insulting technique. The tactics number used by the UK Prime Minister and Opposition MPs to discredit each other differs. It is stated that the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnsons uses a tactics set to discredit the opposite Labour Party with Jeremy Corbyn at the head: "Opponent is a coward" tactics, "Opponent is a criminal" tactics; the discrediting insulting tactics, comparison technique, benefits tactics. It is stressed that the Opposition MPs with Jeremy Corbyn at the head uses a set of discrediting tactics to discredit the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnsons and his Conservative Party: "Opponent is a liar" tactics; "Opponent is non-professional, “incompetent one" tactics; comparison technique.