Something else for Labour to think about

Oh dear.  John Curtice reports on NatCen's British Social Attitudes and it seems that Gordon Brown - how shall we put this – may not be chiming with the national mood:

There have been two key changes in the public mood. First, voters have apparently come to the view that the increase in spending on public services under Labour should come to a halt. Just 39 per cent want more spending on services such as health and education and are willing to pay increased taxes to meet the resulting bill. This is well down on the 63 per cent that took that view in 1998, shortly after Labour came to power.

Then:

Second, in moving Labour on to the centre ground, the New Labour project has seemingly undermined public support for traditional Labour values – such as a more equal society. For example, only 38 per cent now agree that "the Government should redistribute income from the better off to the less well off", far below the 58 per cent who favoured that proposition in 1993, just before Tony Blair became Labour leader.

And finally:

Just 27 per cent of voters now regard themselves as long-term Labour supporters. As recently as 2005 no less than 40 per cent were willing to say they were members of the Labour tribe. Indeed, at 32 per cent, those who consider themselves "a Conservative" outnumber those who say they are "Labour" for the first time since 1989.

Curtice concludes:

It seems this spring Mr Brown will face a public that is both out of love with his party and out of love with its message. He has a tough task indeed.

You see, it is not just members of the AJ4PM committee that believe Brown’s strategy is wrong .