Labour sharpens its attack, but to what end?

It’s no secret that Gordon Brown loathes George Osborne – and that loathing manifests itself in a dossier that Labour released earlier today.  It lists what Labour calls Osborne’s “schoolboy errors” over the economy, and is certainly the most shameless version of the “experienced heads vs novices” argument that we’ve seen so far. 

Whether you agree with the substance of Labour’s attack or not, there’s little doubting that this dossier reflects a general sharpening of their spin/attack operation.  There’s a brutal efficiency about them that was lacking during Stephen Carter’s time at Downing Street.  But that efficiency could bring trouble down on their own heads.  If it comes down to tittle-tattle, the Tories have a much stonger attack that they can launch against Gordon Brown – namely, that his economic agenda over the past decade has catalysed the current downturn.  Whatever Osborne’s mistakes, the same certainly can’t be said for him.

If the Tories can successfully articulate that story – whilst also providing a coherent policy platform of their own – then any hostilities could leave Labour far more battered and bruised.