Labour to focus on Dave?

Tim J

We've seen repeatedly that the more coverage Cameron gets in the press, the better the Tories position in the polls. This has held true even when, as over grammar schools, the coverage is negative.

So if Labour want to focus relentlessly on him, I think it will backfire on them. Much the better option is to try to decouple Cameron from the Tories - that he is unable to get the backing of his unreconstructed neo-Thatcherite etc etc.

Ian C

Labour's window for a snap election begins on Jan 1st and ends on about Feb 5th. The figures in the March budget will be too predictable after that. Labour will be in big trouble by then.

Last night's confirmation that 90% of the 3 milion jobs created since 1997 went to foreigners is not going to hurry Brown to the polls (nor are the current opinion polls).

Going after Cameron who was bred in a world where you are 'targeted' as a schoolboy will play to his strengths. He clearly is not a phoney, although there are doubts as to what he is, ad hominem attacks on him will be well countered. The coming election will be about the 2008-10 Depression and Labour's record. Not even Mandelson will be able to make it otherwise.

Don

The Sun have something similar here
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2042011.ece
If the comments are anything to go by they are wasting their time with that line of attack.

cuffleyburgers

Any doubts in this regard would be quickly settled by Cameron going head to head in TV debates with Brown.

Brown's tunnel vision and lack of mental agility would be shown up in embarassingly short time. The only danger is that a British public besotted with John Sergeant-style excess of left feet might then vote to keep him on the programme...

GJTory

Out of interest, does anyone have a decent line to fire back to GB when he says he is going to teach DC economics?

I ask not because I think it is particularly important but because GB is so plainly economically illiterate that I get very annoyed when I hear him say it.

liz Brown

Forewarned is forearmed - and I suspect that Dave et al will retaliate with accurate and stinging remarks about the mendacity, duplicity, thieving and bullying of the unelected sub prime mentalist - The voter also needs to be reminded that zanulab is now hastily backtracking on many of their policies - immigration, use of ant terror laws, Heathrow etc and etc - not signs of strong leadership. The Conservatives, however, need to find a foil to Mandlebum and Campballs

CROWN

Whatever Brown does - it will lead to a Tory victory. Brown needs to concentrate on his job of prime minister in the meantime.

Peter Wilson

They tried this before and it didn't work in the guise of 'Toffs' at Crewe by-election.

And if Labour want to make this an issue of Leaders, then they're making a mistake, the economy aside, Brown is deeply unpopular and is behind significantly over the question of trust and likeability.

Cameron wins hands down

Gawain

Since Mandleson returned ad hominem attacks have increased significantly so it is plausible. I am however, highly suspicious of articles like this which have been fed to journalists (which unfortunately are becoming too frequent in the Telegraph). This could also be a smokescreen to hide a surprise early election. The economic fundamentals are dire and Labour will do and say anything to cling on to their sinecures. The Tories need to be alert for every kind of off the ball trick going, keep focussed on the economic ball and tackle their main opponent, Gordo the Disaster !

Mike, Brighton

All this talk of political strategy is phooey...attack Dave, destroy his credibility etc yawn.
What it misses that very large and pink elephant stood in the middle of the room called a "recession". Just wait until middle-England feels the pinch in the New Year. Then look at the polls!
Yes Mr. Brown seems to be doing well. His image being burnished by those master-polishers Mandelson & Campbell. They are liberally applying polish marked "economic crisis" with rare skill.

Unfortunately for them and Labour Mr. Brown is still a turd.

BrianSJ

Dave and team are still trying to do the right thing rather than win. The extent to which the media is on ZanuLab's side or completely dumbed down does not seem to have been taken into account. Till the Tories get some really really simple sound bites and an engagement with people's fears and hopes they will lose. Some opposition might help too.

Short the UK

2008 is the year of Panic.

2009 will be the year of Collapse.

Hopefully, the poll ratings of Brown will collapse with the economy.

The Tories do need some more big beasts on the front bench.

They must keep attacking.

The VAT cut was a desperate measure by a governing party that knows the economy is collapsing.

The Tories must get a team over to Japan to study how they have coped with the L.

Chuck Unsworth

"Voters would be disgusted if we called an election at a time when they are worried about their homes and their jobs"

Well, if so, NuLab will never call an election.

Nicholas

The key change in Labour "strategy" (and I use that word in connection with Labour advisedly) ought to be the proper governing of the country rather than a continuous damage control and propaganda exercise in support of party politics.

Therein lies the real key to just what is wrong with Labour; that they are more occupied with undermining Dave as a threat to their power than taking a long hard and honest look at the almost 12 years of incompetent malignancy that has culminated in all the problems facing them and us.

If the clouds of advisers, strategists and Propaganda Kompanie officers supporting The Gordon Brown Brand spent a little more time thinking about government and a little less time scheming about a) how to big up Herr Braun and b) how to discomfort the Tories we might face slightly better prospects in this rapidly declining, overcrowded and PC dogma stifled island.

Thomas Pride

RE: GJTory, December 16th, 2008 10:16am

Correct me if I am wrong but Mr Brown does not have any financial or economic qualifications or even business experience.

Typically arrogant to offer to teach some else a subject in which he has no formal qualifications himself.

How about, something pithy based on “Where are your qualifications?”.

TevorsDen

"a decent line to fire back to GB " - well given the endless lists of disasters and policy dead ends coming from Brown I would think that asking him repeatedly why he 'did nothing' to prevent them would be a good idea.

Labours notion (if it exists) of targeting Cameron, 'like Kinnock' is flawed from the outset. Kinnock shot himself in the foot.

DavefromLuton

I really like the bit about 'the incompetent Tory Party'
On a morning when we have been told about:-
failures in systems on government pensions that have cost taxpayers millions
a scheme for improving the Dept of Transport that has failed and cost rather than saved millions
an ever lower £
attacks about our military strategy in both Iraq and Afghanistan
Following yesterday's:-
resignation of the Exams Chief for incompetence
predicted falls of 30% in the housing market
cabinet indecision over a new runway at Heathrow
This does seem a strange time to mention Tory competence.
Kettle and Black do come to mind and it is no wonder that Labour now want to play the man rather than the ball

Ken

The issue is the TaliBRuin. Just because the French polishers have been recalled there is no way they can shape warped banana boxwood into saleable solid Chesterfield. Keep focused on destroying mad man - surely not difficult. He's his own worst enemy. His lamentable record from schooldaze on, damns him utterly. The demented Scots marxist and his criminally incompetent fellow travelling student unionists must never ever be allowed near the levers of power again. Ever! Anywhere, even on Sark!

Mark

The decent line to fire back to Brown when he claims he is teaching Cameron economics is "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach." But then again it might lose a few votes among the educators.

coshbrew

next time he offers to "teach Cameron about economics" Dave should reply "Perhaps he'll teach me how to sell gold at the best price, how to regulate banks so they don't go broke but most of all how to abolish boom and bust"

It's important to pucture the headmasterly approach that Brown's advisers have obviously settled upon.

Fergus Pickering

Focussing on Kinnc was always a good idea because he was (and is) a loudmouthed Welsh prat. David Cameron is not a loudmouthed Welsh prat. That's the difference, you see.

seb

@ cuffleyburger

Head to head confrontations between Cameron and The Saviour would, if there were any, favour Cameron. But who seriously expects Manduja to permit this? Brown, as I'm sure most will appreciate, will be steered away from the limelight on the excuse that he's saving humanity from itself. This, though necessary in the eyes of Labour's strategists, will highlight The Saviour's cowardice and utter lack of charisma.

chris

Do Labour really want to win an early election and then reap the whirlwind caused by their useless management of our economy which has bankrupted us?

Much as I despise this lot I would rather remain in opposition and speak the truth to the British public than compromise. We have a crap economy which cannot sustain the level of public spending which politicians of all parties seem to think is essential to promise to get elected.

The quicker we get away from this nonsense the better.

The media are all part of this stitch up.

skooch

I think you're all too gung-ho, pro Cameron.

I think it's a lot more fuzzy.

I think people are confused about the economic argument.

They don't like Brown, and they don't like what he's been, and still is, doing, politically.

But, in a time of such economic uncertainty, when the electorate (and many politicos and journos), quite manifestly don't know which way is up, economically, Brown may have just as much credibility as Cameron - more so, possibly.

This will be the decider.