Labour must get its priorities right and start knocking on as many doors as possible between and the election. This election will not be lost or won in parliament, the media or even solely inside the political parties. It will be lost or won by talking to people about how mean, unfair and one-sided a Conservative government would be.
Denis MacShane MP
The lesson from the past 72 hours is simple: if the election is about policy, we win. If it is about personalities, we lose. That’s why the ‘choice not a referendum’ riff is so important.
Paul Richards
The scale of response to what happened makes it entirely clear that the Labour movement wants to get on with fighting the election under Brown’s leadership. We are encouraged that the Tories have failed to crystallise their poll lead into positive support, and this has happened under Brown’s leadership. Things are feeling better on the doorstep and we need to keep on with the dual message that that the economy is safer under Labour – we have made the right decisions in difficult circumstances – and at the same time we need to foster trust with the electorate that public services are safer with us even in hard times.
Kitty Ussher MP
This week’s ‘coup’ was a pointless distraction. But the government does need to have a much clearer and more consistent message. A 2010 election in anti-politics Britain will not be won with the tactics of the 1990s. So while dividing lines may have their uses middle ground voters need to regain trust in Labour if we are to have any chance of preventing a Tory majority. That means candour about the economy and what cuts will be needed (there were welcome signs yesterday that Gordon Brown recognises this) as well as what will be protected. It means an honest appraisal of Labour’s successes and failures – people won’t recognise the former (which are considerable) if we aren’t open about the latter. And it means an unashamed embrace of public service reform in education, health, policing and transport. With such a strategy the whole party could and should unite for the election.
Conor Ryan, former senior education adviser to Tony Blair and David Blunkett