The declining Kingdom? Emotional ascription, emotional expectations, and humour in the international framing of the UK in crisis

Journal article

In the last few years, the United Kingdom has been through much: a referendum and the subsequent departure from the European Union that ensued, the COVID-19 pandemic, the death of the monarch Queen Elizabeth II, and an ongoing cost of living crisis. This article delves into how the foreign press has framed the UK through these events. It focuses on the role of the politics of emotions by introducing the concepts of emotional ascription and emotional expectations, as well as incorporating humour in the conversation. Examining international media, the article finds two main ways the UK was discussed: pitied as a ‘broken’ and ‘depressed’ country and mocked as a ‘laughingstock’. The article argues that, to an extent, the UK’s desired self-conception as ‘Global Britain’ is subverted by these negative perceptions around the world, undermining its national image and contributing to weakening its soft power and status aspirations. Such a decline in reputation can negatively affect its ability to build and maintain strong and positive relations with ally countries. However, the article shows that the UK’s negative traits are primarily attributed to its politicians as opposed to its population or culture(s), so the country’s attractiveness does not decrease too significantly.

Authors: Houde, A-M

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• Journal: Politics
• Volume: 46
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 325-342
• Publication date: 2025-07-23
• Acceptance date: 2025-06-27
• DOI: 10.1177/02633957251358130
• EISSN: 1467-9256
• ISSN: 0263-3957
• Language: English
• Keywords: emotions; Global Britain; humour in IR; international relations; United Kingdom