Readying the bombardment
James Forsyth 12:10pm
Westminster might be in holiday mode, but behind the scenes the coalition is preparing to take on the new Labour leader. As I say in the Mail on Sunday, the coalition is determined to hit whichever Miliband wins early and hard. The Cameroons believe that Tony Blair’s decision not to attack Cameron straight away in 2005 was crucial in allowing him to present himself to the public on his own terms. By contrast, both Hague and Duncan Smith were made to look like losers by the Labour attack machine within months of becoming leader of the opposition.
The result of the Labour leadership election will be announced on the 25th of September. But as the Waarsi Huhne press conference this week showed, with its demand that the leadership contenders return their ministerial severance payments showed the softening up work is already starting.
From the beginning of September, a new CCHQ operation will issue quotes from ministers that are too political for civil servants to handle and pump out opposition research. The aim is to associate the new leader with Labour’s failures and to force them to say what they would do differently.
The new Labour leader’s first few months in the job will be crucial. Labour has ticked up in the polls since the election. If a new leader can get through to the New Year without incurring much damage then the opposition will be in a strong position. But if the coalition can do to him what Labour did to Hague and Duncan-Smith then it will have the political breathing space that it needs.
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ollie
August 15th, 2010 12:45pm Report this commentLabour are benefitting from the same phenomenon that the Tories had - before they were forced to dish out concrete policies. The last election proved conclusively that good polling in opposition does not translate into general election results.
I don't know where this idea stems from that Miliband will be a boon for Labour. Can anyone remember a single substantive speech, or act, that he carried out in government? He is a gutless paperweight.
Boudicca
August 15th, 2010 12:56pm Report this commentIf Millipillock senior wins, all they have to do is get Copyright for the banana picture. Never has a senior politician looked more pathetic and stupid.
Verity
August 15th, 2010 1:37pm Report this comment"The Cameroons believe that Tony Blair’s decision not to attack Cameron straight away in 2005 was crucial in allowing him to present himself to the public on his own terms" ... which is why Cameron couldn't win the election. The public didn't take to his own parka-clad, Husky and hoodie-befriending terms.
The feeling about Davie Dim was tepid and cooled rapidly until the point where he couldn't win a majority despite the worst, and most toxict, government in British history. The public was tepid right from the start, and cooled rapidly.
Oedipus Rex
August 15th, 2010 2:09pm Report this commentBoudicca "If Millipillock senior wins, all they have to do is get Copyright for the banana picture. Never has a senior politician looked more pathetic and stupid."
If you think that kind of 'critique'/strategy is going to get the Tories far, you'll be sorely disappointed. So too endlessly churning out the Milli-history.
Hague didn't lose to Blair because of the baseball cap, but because he build a whole election campaign around 'save the pound' when Labour then only had to confidently announce they had no intention of joining the Euro.
There are many more examples - more dramatically, Churchill losing in 45 to A LANDSLIDE despite his deserved heroic status as war leader. And why? Because the majority had not forgotten the poverty of the 30s they had endured and who was (in their eyes) responsible.
Just as with 'identity politics', the politics of personal abuse or attempted ridicule carries no weight.
TrevorsDen
August 15th, 2010 3:55pm Report this commentAll the labour party stood by and let Brown wreck the country. That's their weakness, unless they admit to their is take.
The latest poll showed that most of the country think the coalition are doing the right things, so sneering personal attacks on Cameron are just ignorant.
Chris
August 15th, 2010 4:01pm Report this comment>Just as with 'identity politics', the politics of personal abuse or attempted ridicule carries no weight.
For f*ck's sake, someone tell Verity.
James, there is no 'aa' in Warsi.
Nicholas
August 15th, 2010 4:02pm Report this commentNow what does that heading photo remind me of? Ah, yes.
Tweedledum and Tweedledee
Agreed to have a battle;
For Tweedledum said Tweedledee
Had spoiled his nice new rattle.
Just then flew down a monstrous crow,
As black as a tar-barrel;
Which frightened both the heroes so,
They quite forgot their quarrel.
JohnAnt
August 17th, 2010 4:24am Report this comment"By contrast, both 1) Hague and 2) Duncan Smith were made to look like losers" - True, but not by Labour, simply by their own mistakes.
1) Baseball cap and Notting Hill street-cred.
2) Being too petulant and shadowy.
Milibands will have the same prob as 2).
Paul T Horgan
August 17th, 2010 12:23pm Report this commentThe main feature of the Labour leadership election is that the male candidates appear indistinguishable from each other in so many ways.
So, given the above, a mixture of any two of the candidates would suffice to lead the party.
But what kind of mixture?
Using the latest morphing technologies, I have determined that the best candidate would be 80% David Miliband with 20% Ed Balls.
Want to see how?
Watch the video of the candidates morphing seamlessly into each other here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IitpA73rphs
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