Across the pond, the US is gearing up for what looks set to be a very close election between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Regardless of the result, Harris has undoubtedly taken the Democratic leadership campaign to new places, from Brat Summer to her cameo on Saturday Night Live. What’s especially notable is how she hasn’t brought her gender to the forefront of her campaign, focusing more on addressing the issues affecting women rather than the simple fact that she is a woman.
This trend appears to be rippling across the Atlantic to UK women in politics. Last Wednesday, Rachel Reeves delivered the first ever parliamentary Budget from a female Chancellor. Reeves didn’t hesitate to spotlight this at the beginning of her speech, remarking that “this is the first Budget in this country’s history to be delivered by a woman,” and that she was “deeply proud”.
“Girls and young women everywhere, I say, let there be no ceiling on your ambitions, your hopes and your dreams,” she added.
But Reeves doesn’t just rely on her status as the first woman chancellor to make her mark. It was her historic and deeply controversial budget that’s making waves and headlines. While she hopes to show concrete results in the long-term, it’s clear that her current priority is to prove her financial credentials and promote a competent, serious and qualified personal brand in the face of budget-backlash.
There is enormous pressure for the chancellor to deliver economic stability and growth in a time of turbulent financial headwinds for the UK, arguably even more pressure because that chancellor is a woman. Presenting a bold set of reforms, some of which see funding diverted to services that benefit women (such as education, healthcare and childcare), Reeves has confidently placed down a marker: this is what a woman chancellor is capable of.
On the other end of the political spectrum, the Conservatives have selected their first ever Black woman leader, Kemi Badenoch, who certainly isn’t one to dwell on the significance of her hiring. In fact, she’s an outspoken critic of the so-called ‘divisive agenda of identity politics’.
Unlike their male counterparts, who benefit from longstanding archetypes of leadership, these women in politics must walk a nuanced line with their communication style. To borrow from America Ferrera’s monologue in Barbie, it is literally impossible to be a woman [in politics]. You must balance strength with relatability, assertiveness with warmth, and credibility with approachability. But perhaps as the demanding list of desirable qualities for women political leaders grew longer, their choice of communication styles also quietly expanded.
Rachel Reeves and Kamala Harris represent the range of paths being forged; Reeves approaches her role with a focus on competence and steadfast authority, while Harris blends professionalism with cultural savviness, leaning into humour and pop culture references to make politics feel accessible.
From the off, Harris’s public perception and depiction in the media was a far cry from that of any Democratic presidential hopeful in recent years. Her campaign was rapidly meme-ified, from her viral ‘coconut tree’ quote to the surprise appearance on SNL.
Harris’s team took things a step further in July when they rebranded her official HQ X (formerly known as Twitter) profile with the familiar neon lime green hue that’s come to be known as ‘Brat Green’, after Charli XCX’s pop culture-dominating album of the same name. Given that this album speaks to the experiences of party girls getting messy and taking drugs, you’d think it would be an association most establishment politicians would steer well clear of — but Harris doesn’t want to be seen as your typical establishment politician. She even won the approval of the pop star herself, with Charli XCX tweeting the immortal words “kamala IS brat” shortly after the rebrand.
As only the second woman ever to be the presidential nominee for a major US political party, it’s hard to avoid comparisons to Hillary Clinton, who became the first woman to win the national popular vote in 2016. While Clinton’s team also tried to lean into new media, embracing cameos in popular TV shows like ‘Broad City’ and tweeting “Delete your account” at eventual President Donald Trump, her reputation as the face of establishment politics hindered these activities from ever coming across as authentic. Harris, on the other hand, can leverage memes, TV appearances, and celebrity endorsements in a way that feels broadly genuine, thanks to her natural good humour and strong public speaking skills.
It’s also worth noting that one of the key slogans of Clinton’s campaign, “I’m With Her” placed an emphasis on her gender in a way that none of Harris’s messaging has come close to.
Reeves and Harris are proof that female politicians don’t need to fit a single mould. They can choose to embrace or downplay their gender, lean in to tradition or disrupt it with fresh approaches. Each navigate their public communications with a unique combination of personal values, cultural expectations and media tactics, making their own way through a landscape that’s rife with scrutiny.
Their communication strategies have become a soft power driving them towards success, and most importantly – helping them connect authentically with their audience.
Kamala Harris previously tweeted a quote shared by her mother: “you may be the first to do many things, but make sure you’re not the last.” By showing women how they can throw out the political rulebook and still succeed, today’s trailblazers are doing just that.
For more from Thinking Hat – check out our blog, or get in touch with us to discuss media relations and comms support.
