No message, no chance
James Forsyth 3:17pm
In politics you need an effective positive message about yourself and a negative message about your opponent hat resonates. At the moment, Labour has neither.
Its attempt at a positive message is to say ‘we’re on your side’ but this claim now just gets laughed out of court. To borrow a word from the Chancellor, people feel too "squeezed” for this message to be credible.
Labour’s negative message about Cameron is all over the place. Until a few weeks ago, he was shallow salesman. But now Labour seem determined to attack him as a closet right-winger with Brown saying that he did not want to "wake up 24 months from now" (a sure sign that he is planning to hang on until the last minute before calling an election) to find that there was a Tory government cutting education and health spending while enacting “massive tax cuts” for the rich. It is hard to imagine this attack working given that it simply does not chime with reality.
Meanwhile, Tony McNulty is claiming that people have a choice of sticking with a “Labour Government that listens and is on peoples’ side” or going “back to the 70s and 80s however dressed up with Cameron”. But again this attack isn’t going to work and especially not on a day when the Labour party is huddled with the Trades Unions trying to come up with a policy platform that will ensure the brothers’ continuing support for the party.
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Liz Brown
July 25th, 2008 3:25pm Report this commentSaw his ponderous speech to the Warwick faithful - couldn't see/hear anything new or noteworthy - usual rubbish "many not the few" blah de blah. Same old lies abut Tory cuts and oh dearie me, he seemed thrilled to bits with the "waking up in 24 months" which struck me as a poor man's copy of "24 hrs to save the NHS" and look where that got us
Waste of time and space - aaaaaaargh
Michael Hargrave
July 25th, 2008 3:55pm Report this commentLiz - I too watched GB at Warwick, hoping to hear something new. Quite frankly, I would rather he had written and read a new speech, because his attempts at anecdote (story about the 10 boys) was just awful and his vision for the future to uplift his audience was just more of "equality for all" and he fumbled his words. He just isn't an off the cuff speaker.
He just doesn't seem to be able to get it. Its all about the economy (stupid) and can't see that people abhor everything about his leadership. It is sad that with Tony Blair he was able to get away with his charade, but now without a good front man, he has been left with no clothes.
Nicholas
July 25th, 2008 4:00pm Report this commentThe biased BBC News 24 reporting has been hilarious - all about The Great Leader and how he will rally the Party to stave off the wicked Tory counter-revolutionaries. Much repeating of the "I'm here to stay for two years because only I know what needs to be done" crap which means he can't even count. May 2010 is now 22 months away, not 24 months but I have the feeling Herr Braun is already on borrowed time.
Really, how much more of these dire, desperate, deluded people do we have to put up with?
Richard Holloway
July 25th, 2008 4:01pm Report this commentCan't we have a march on parliament demanding a general election... this is getting beyond a joke, we haven't even voted for this idiot and he's ruining the country!
Austin Barry
July 25th, 2008 4:21pm Report this commentBrown is a reverse alchemist - everything he touches turns to ordure. Even when he starts with gold he somehow contrives to make it worth less, as with his fire-sale of 60% of the UK's gold reserves. Similarly, Broon himself has transmuted, and what used to be perceived as gravitas now looks like grumpy, resentful denial.
BrianSJ
July 25th, 2008 4:22pm Report this commentBrown waking up 24 months from now. Perhaps when he wakes up he could start 'listening' and 'making the right decisions for the country' rather than doing them in his sleep. PM asleep on the job by his own admission.
Rob
July 25th, 2008 4:52pm Report this commentNo message? The message is Gordon is getting on with the job.
Ted Tedford
July 25th, 2008 5:27pm Report this commentHas anyone ever concentrated on running upstairs, as opposed to just running upstairs? It is surprisingly awkward if you have to think about where you're placing your feet, and you look a bit stupid.
I am reminded of such whenever I see Mr Brown trying really hard to be 'natural'.
JONNY
July 25th, 2008 6:00pm Report this comment"I don't want to wake up in 24 months. FULL STOP."
Silent Hunter
July 25th, 2008 6:36pm Report this commentRob:
Oh God help us then! LOL
Silent Hunter
July 25th, 2008 6:42pm Report this commentRichard Holloway:
That sounds like a great idea to me.
Let's set a date.
Snaresbrook Owl
July 25th, 2008 6:56pm Report this commentAustin Barry - Brown is like an reverse alchemist. Reminds me of the 1960's ditty 'King Midas in Reverse.'
Athesius the Facilitator
July 25th, 2008 8:17pm Report this commentWhen 'Godger' Brown does his false smile he looks like The Joker in Batman. My mate Anthony the Sensitive says "but it's no Joke at all" because you see, I am an MOD employee and he is a contractor. Why am I MOD and he is a contractor doing the same job? Because it is neo labour policy to make sure he as a newish employee cannot get a pension. He is also sacked after 11 months only to be re-employed again almost immediately so that he is not entitled to any other PERKS of longevity. So much for ethical neoLab.
Anyway back to the point. There is no message chaps. No message in the whole wide world can help this man. It is him. He is Ian Duncan Smiths political Doppelganger, nothing can save him. But do not feel guilty. He deserves to be pilloried. Stoned perhaps.
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