In August 1914, at the outbreak of the first world war, many famously thought that the war would be ‘over by christmas’. As Labour MPs and party members return from summer holidays, there are those who believe that, perhaps in hope rather than expectation, the Tory-Lib Dem government will implode sooner rather than later. As the government marks its first 100 days in office, there are few signs that the coalition will fall apart quickly.
Whoever wins the Labour leadership will need to observe our opponents through the correct end of the telescope. The Conservatives may not have won the last election, but they will be far more formidable opponents at the next one. A major part of the Labour election campaign was to highlight the ‘risk’ posed by the Tories, as a way of rebutting the ‘year of change’ message put forward by David Cameron. To some extent, this was successful. The Conservative brand was still toxic in some sections of the electorate and many people were nervous about Cameron. Focus groups would quote the ‘hug a hoodie’ speech, would reference the ‘cycling to work with the chauffeur-driven car following with the suit and briefcase’ incident and would respond to the question ‘what would David Cameron be if he wasn’t a politician?’ by likening him to a dodgy second-hand car dealer. (more…)
