Parties hide away senior off-message politicians
The presidential nature of a campaign dominated by the leaders of the two largest parties has been illuminated by research that also reveals how Labour and the Conservatives have hidden away senior figures deemed to be embarrassing or off message.
Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn appeared in 31.7% and 26.9% of media coverage analysed by researchers, while the third most prominent figure to feature was the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell.
The research suggests a huge focus across the media on a small number of leading figures, with the top 10 on the list accounting for 93% of total coverage.
By contrast, the campaign’s “invisible” men and women – who were relegated to taking selfies on the election trail or rallying constituency parties – include cabinet ministers ...