Three essential columns
James Forsyth 4:09pm
While we wait for the local election results, I’d thoroughly recommend reading this morning's columns by Mary Ann Sieghart, Iain Martin and Martin Bright. The three of them, brilliantly distil what has gone wrong for Gordon Brown.
Sieghart, reminding us of what we have been missing since she’s stopped writing regularly for The Times’s op-ed page, articulates why the Labour whips office is going to have such trouble enforcing party discipline if things gets worse for Gordon. Iain Martin explains why Stephen Carter’s organisational fixes can’t solve the Prime Minister’s problems which are essentially politically. While Martin Brights points to the tipping point question: So what would be so awful about the Tories getting back into power?
Tonight’s results will go a long way towards showing us if we have passed this tipping point. If we have, then Labour is in dire straits for the reasons that Sieghart and Iain point to.
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oldtimer
May 1st, 2008 5:54pm Report this commentIt will be really bad for Labour if
(1) Boris wins on the first ballot and/or
(2) Lib Dems out poll Labour in the Council elections.
Given the Labour party`s financial straits, diminished local organisational capabilities and the loss of the will to vote by its traditional core voters then I think it would mark a state of decline that would be difficult to reverse.
oldtimer
May 1st, 2008 5:58pm Report this commentIt will be really bad for Labour if
(1) Boris wins on the first ballot and/or
(2) Lib Dems out poll Labour in the Council elections.
Given the Labour party`s financial straits, diminished local organisational capabilities and the loss of the will to vote by its traditional core voters then I think it would mark a state of decline that would be difficult to reverse.
Ian C
May 1st, 2008 6:51pm Report this commentIain Martin hits the nail on the head - glad there are some left of centre realists who, albeit reluctantly, tell it how it is. it's 1996/7 all over agian except the economic situation is deteriorating not improving.
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