Labour’s detailed scrutiny of the Conservatives’ spending and tax commitments today strikes me as effective and important. However, over the months ahead, Labour should beware of opposition scrutiny and attack seeming to become the exclusive theme of its campaign, and ensure this is balanced by Labour’s own positive argument and agenda for Britain.
Sunder Katwala, general secretary of the Fabian Society
Close elections are won as much organisationally as by policies. Gordon must motivate Labour members to get out campaigning.
Luke Akehurst, Labour blogger and councillor
Gordon Brown could help reconnect Labour with aspirational voters by ensuring our manifesto includes a date by which we will have equalised state secondary school spending with that in the independent sector.
Stuart King, Labour PPC for Putney
Gordon Brown needs a clear, credible, and positive vision of where he plans to take Britain. Labour should be proud of its record but voters have banked the achievements. Challenging the Tories is an important part of the campaign but voters need to know what Brown thinks Britain will look like in 2014 if Labour win. That message, in my book, should be that we will be out of the recession and a greener, fairer, and safer society.
Will Straw, editor of Left Foot Forward
Brown needs to seize the initiviative on the economy and stress that it is about Labour help for the many versus Tory ideological cuts and taxbreaks for the few.
Rupa Huq, author and former Labour European Election Candidate
Gordon Brown needs desperately to remind the country that Labour is the party of unrelenting reform; that change is no empty soundbite, rather that it is a hard-earned Labour principle; and that we have a rare opportunity in this financial and democratic climate to finish the work of remaking our public services so they may serve those who really need them.
Alex Smith, editor of LabourList
Gordon Brown has been a great servant of our country, party and the wider world. He’ll doubtless be remembered as the man that pulled the banks back from the edge, but his global fight against poverty is his true legacy. The question is should not be “how he can reconnect”, but how can he institutionalise his achievements.. an honest man with such clear empathy for the poor of world, can’t give the same empathy to the mother of little Timmy struggling finance his gap-year fund.
The public will reconnect with Gordon, when they understand his devotion and the strength of his sacrifice.. when at the cusp of victory, he chooses to be the Baptist and not the Christ.
IF progressives are honest they will recognise that the electorate has stopped listening to a government led by Gordon Brown. If they need confirmation of that, none of the polls over the past 12 months have had Labour ahead. Therefore the best thing he could do would be to resign and let a leader from a different generation lead Labour to an election. A leader who could trumpet Labour achievements but acknowledge the undoubted mistakes and explain what they have learnt and would do differently in the future. Someone who could credibly outline a new vision for the party and the country, different from that pursued by ‘New Labour’. Otherwise the election will be an inevitable rout.
It is crazy for anyone on the left to begin this issue by calling for a change of leadership. We don’t have to be browbeaten by the well cordinated campaign of denigration directed against Gordon. He and Tony Blair have done immense good for the ordinary people of this country and now, with Alistair Darling have prevented national and global economic collapse. We have to show how the sacrifices that need to be made to rebalance the economy – and not in the panic mode so popular at the moment – will be fairly distributed and spending priorities will be to build a healthier society based on sustainable economics, built on “green” economics, and in which citizens can value themselves and one another by contributing to their own and the common good. Do not join the deceitful methods of the Tories – all surface and no depth.
Ron Marchant – I am not a leftwinger and you need to wake up and smell the coffee. Otherwise the party will continue to sleepwalk to an overwhelming defeat that will take well over a decade to recover from. IF you need confirmation of this just go door knocking or phone polling in any marginal seat.
What Gordon Brown and the party do not need at this time are headlines provided by two ex- Cabinet Ministers calling for a leadership secret ballot only months away from the election. What planet are these people on or what ego trip have they planned. United and determined we have a chance but divided by nonsense is suicide. I just think this kind of behaviour reminds me of what major put up with and lost. Shut up ex ministers or better still rally the troops and put forward the positive side of the Government and what the alternative is for many who will suffer under the Tories. Geff and Pat belt up.