The state of the housing market and the affordability of homes are already shaping up to be one of the big battlegrounds in the General Election. As Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander has a key role to play in this area of debate and so on Tuesday morning the Today programme gave him their prominent 8.10am interview slot to defend the Government’s Help to Buy policy.
Presenter and former BBC Economics Editor Evan Davis was in a pugnacious mood, determined to drive the interview and keep the Chief Secretary on the back foot. Economics aside it was an interesting lesson in how an interviewee can seek to control the agenda rather than simply following the lead of the presenter.
Lesson 1: Know what comes before you
The items starts with a report featuring a young couple, Sam and Becky, who are looking to get onto the property ladder. “We just want a little house,” says Becky. This is a typical case study report. It’s heavy on the all important human factor and explores the emotional aspect of the issue for the audience before they’re hit with the facts, figures and arguments.
Make sure that you know whether there’s a report before your interview. If so then ensure that you have a chance to see or hear it. Danny Alexander does well to mention the people featured in the package by name. It makes him sound human and caring – for a politician, anyway!
Lesson 2: Stick to your key messages
Evan Davis starts the interview by asking why house prices are so high. This is not helpful to Alexander but instead of moving away from the issue to talk about Help to Buy he thrashes about for a while and then questions whether they really are as high as Davis asserting. A bad move. Davis has a long list of figures about the heightened price of property in comparison to salary from the government, which he uses to make his point.
Interesting though a subject might be, if it’s not helpful to you then give a quick answer, close it down and move on.
Lesson 3: Rise above it
Still spouting figures for property prices around the country in relation to earnings, Davis interrupts repeatedly. Alexander does his best to handle these numerous, aggressive interjections.
If an aggressive interviewer repeatedly interrupts then don’t try to arm wrestle them into silence because you probably won’t be able to – after all, they’re the professionals and it’s their show. You’ll just end up sounding aggressive yourself and probably angry and desperate into the bargain. Instead, it’s better to pause, take a deep breath and say something such as “If you’ll just let me finish…” or “Let me answer your last question and then we can come on to that…” before making your point.
Lesson 4: Make it Personal
“Don’t you worry that house prices might come down as interest rates go up?” asks Davis to which Alexander says: “People still have to assure themselves that they can afford their mortgage and there are actually much more stringent tests now.” This is solid, sensible advice, which is relevant to the audience. He even brings in a mention of our friends Sam and Becky again. “Here are people who are spending a lot of money on rent, who would like to get on the housing ladder, who have steady jobs and an income that means that they can afford the monthly repayments the one thing they can’t get is a big deposit. This housing market has to be open to a larger group of people. Lots of us got started with 95 per cent mortgage. I did 25 years ago.” Again this is relevant to the audience, it’s a key message and by including a reference to his own experience the Chief Secretary sounds human and creates some empathy with his audience.
Personal experience or endorsement, if properly thought through during the preparation before an interview, helps to make the interviewee sound human and empathetic. Journalists love this too so just be prepared for any follow up questions by the interviewer about your own circumstances. Is there anything that you’d rather not reveal?
Lesson 5: Don’t speculate
Thinking again about first time buyers Davis then asks: “How high should they think of interest rates getting?” Very sensibly Alexander refuses to comment. Journalists love speculation and crystal ball gazing but it’s almost always a dangerous activity for interviewees who risk making themselves hostages to fortune. “I’m not going to get into predicting interest rates,” says Alexander before bridging back to his key message and even including a reference to Sam and Becky again.
Lesson 6: Be aware of the news agenda
Davis then completely changes the subject and asks about the Leveson Inquiry and press freedom. It’s nothing to do with housing of course but Danny Alexander is Co-chairman of the Privy Council sub-committee looking at press freedom. This is a classic “While I’ve got you here minister…” question.
You might have agreed to come onto a programme or talk to a journalist about one issue but if there is something else related to your responsibility or business that is “moving” that day then you might well be asked about it so be prepared. And be prepared to bridge back to your key subject.
“That isn’t something I’m going to comment on,” replies Danny Alexander by sensibly – but then he does just that. He would do better to bridge away, back to the housing issue. He could say something such as: “There’ll be a statement on that later but look, when I talk to my constituents and other people up and down the country what they’re more concerned about is how they or their children are going to be able to buy somewhere to live.”
Having got his foot in the proverbial door Davis comes in again and Alexander gets involved in a longer discussion about negotiations and the issues discussed.
Then there’s another thorny issue on the agenda. “One other quick matter,” says Davis and asks about the move of Norman Baker to the Home Office. “A lot of eye brows have been raised,” over his views about the death of the government scientist Dr David Kelly, he comments. Hang on, wasn’t this interview supposed to be about the affordability of housing?
Although he does get dragged into discussing it at least Danny Alexander is clear and assertive. In answer to the question: “Do you think this damages your party?” He says briskly: “Quite the reverse.” Well done. But there’s more. “Do you think an Iraqi death squad assassinated David Kelly?” Again there’s a quick rebuff from Alexander but he really should be back on housing again by now.
So, the journalist has an agenda and so do you as the guest. Yes, of course you have to answer the questions whenever you can or, dare we say it, you’ll sound like a slippery politician. But having done that whether you seize control of the agenda and take the initiative to put across your own messages afterwards is up to you.
Listen to the Interview here
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