Concession speeches are usually given immediately after results of an election are released. In these speeches, a losing candidate will concede defeat, before the winner presents his/her acceptance speech. However, defeats are also mentioned in speeches other than concession speeches. These are political speeches which happen some time after the defeat. By nature, political speeches provide insights into how language is utilised by politicians to achieve particular objectives. Many studies have investigated speech acts in political speeches, looking at how the speaker attempts to persuade the audience through particular language use. However, limited attention has been given to how language is used in other post-defeat speeches other than concession speeches. This study investigates a 2018 speech delivered by a politician in his losing party's first ever mass assembly after an election loss. We describe ways in which the defeat is addressed based on discourse and sociocultural practices in Fairclough's three dimensional framework. We show how the use of intertextuality and offensive strategies through word-use lead to the communication of values that aim to create a desired mindset in the audience and to gain their confidence in the politician's leadership.
