How reassuring that our little cunning plan is catching on.
Martin Kettle treads down that well worn path that some us have made numerous journeys up and down over recent months. He states, correctly, why Labour has to make the change, not only to avoid catastrophe at the polls, but to guard against the fratricide that will happen after the election. Kettle’s conclusion is spot on:
What baffles me about Labour is that it has a record to defend, a shared understanding of why it exists, a story to tell about current and future issues, and an opponent who can be taken on – and yet it is incapable of persuading the country to listen. The exhaustion of long years in power and the need for fresh, self-critical thinking cannot be ignored. Nevertheless, there is a Labour case to make now, not just after the election.
It is not tough policies that Labour lacks so much as tough politics. The Labour party has to decide whether to face up, to give up, or wait for something to turn up. There is not much difference between the last two options. But if Labour chooses to confront its problems, it must see that everything about its future depends on the number of its MPs it can persuade the voters to return to Westminster next spring. That in turn poses the question of what the party can do in the coming weeks to maximise that number. That means putting on an impressive show in Brighton, then telling Brown he must go.
And finally:
Frankly, I don't expect them to do either.
That nagging doubt about whether Labour has the will to fight is also catching on. If events get much worse for Brown, the Labour party will wake up to reality. We need someone with more credibility within the PLP than the lonely Charles Clarke to start launching some rockets. We may not have that long to wait.
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