Labour needs the economy to stay centre-stage. The Tories sums don’t add up and voters need reminding that recessions under them meant three million on the dole, 15 per cent interest rates and repossessions a go-go. We should try and paint their being in hock to big business as showing whose side they are on. Cameron’s Conservatives have also been exposed as hypocrites in their quest to be caring and sharing with their true attitude to gays revealed.
I was leafleting at South Ealing station from 7.30am yesterday and knocking on doors until 8pm in my capacity as a candidate. Of course we’re an odd species and I wonder if the general public will be heartily sick of it all in four weeks’ time.
Rupa Huq, Labour blogger*
Week one of the campaign has probably been a score-draw between Labour and the Tories and a match postponed for the Lib Dems. There is still more that Labour can do to dissect the Tory position on the National Insurance increase. If National Insurance is bad and a tax on jobs why isn’t Cameron proposing its abolition? And aren’t the doomsayers in the business world the same people who predicted a million job losses when the minimum wage was introduced? Highlight of the week – Peter Mandelson at Wednesday’s Progress meeting.
Peter John, leader of Southwark Labour group
The campaign kicked off with the Tories’ cavalry raid on National Insurance, but they were unable to force Labour into an anti-business position which had been their aim. Now Labour needs to bring out the heavy artillery. Lord Adonis’ intervention on the values that bind the Lib Dems and Labour against the Tories was both interesting and timely. I wrote this week to the South Yorkshire Star to warn that the Tories’ links to extremists in eastern Europe, who oppose core equality rights there, threaten those same rights here in the UK which will be rolled back under the Conservatives.
Denis MacShane
All the three main parties have launched their campaigns with no major mishaps. What Labour needs to do is act like the team we are compared with the one man Cameron band Tory party. Then we need to spell out the cuts that will need to be made, in time, to public spending. Not fun but more honest than the Tories promising tax cuts everywhere. It’s about trust and competance. In these anti-politics times honesty is the best policy.
Will Parbury
The media is trying to tell the story that the Tories have received the backing of business and are pulling ahead in the polls. But it’s something up in the political stratosphere while on the doorstep, where it’ll all be decided, it’s moving in our direction. Our message resonates with people who rely on public services. When Cameron talks of 40,000 fewer public servants this year people begin to wonder whether the Tories really have really changed. On the doorstep we’ve more Labour people out calling and doing street stalls. I’ve seen no Tories out in West Yorkshire since the campaign’s been called! Why would they when nationally policy changes every five minutes – how would they know what to say? The Tory strategy seems to rely on their friends in the media and big posters, instead of on footsoldiers and talking to voters on the doorstep and in their communities – that’s Labour strategy and is what will win the election.
Rachel Reeves, Labour PPC
The big focus this week has been on National Insurance. It’s little surprise that businesses oppose a tax rise but they and the Tories can’t have both fiscal responsibility and tax cuts. They are also being found out on the job losses that would result from the “efficiency savings” which Cameron and Osborne think will pay for it. It was unfortunate that Labour has ended up in a row with individual businessmen (and it is always men) but on the other hand the Tory attack backfires every time the public sees a wealthy CEO going into bat for the Cameron and chums.
Will Straw, editor, Left Foot Forward
The race has got off to a flying start, and the Tories have just shaded it in the first week with their NI cut story. I detect signs that this is starting to unravel as its affordability is now under scrutiny. There have also been some good economic indicators suggesting that Labour’s fiscal policies are beginning to pay dividends, although petrol prices are a concern. I think the Lib Dems have made a good start too – their tax bombshell poster is effective. Where we missed was on our ‘Gene Hunt’ poster. I would give us 6/10 for week one. Let’s nail that economic recovery narrative.
Julian Ware-Lane, Labour blogger and prospective parliamentary candidate
*For anyone who wants to come and help Rupa Huq in Walpole the council ward that includes the world famous Ealing studios this weekend we are meeting at South Ealing at 2.15pm. The council seat is in one of the nation’s most marginal parliamentary seats (newly drawn Ealing Central and Acton) where one of Labour’s youngest candidates Bassam Mahfouz is standing and will also be along. More details on 07808 930917 or at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=441507370386 and
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=441507370386#!/event.php?eid=107077629332181&ref=mf
Shame it took Vince Cable to stick it to the Tory business leaders. Instead of the lame Mandleson comment about them being deceived, which was easily rebuffed by calling his response “patronising” why didn’t Labour lay right into them and accuse them of being sickeningly self-satisfied and self-interested. Don’t they care about the thousands of jobs lost by cutting public sector jobs? This idea that ‘back room’ jobs are somehow unnecessary is pure Daily Mail rubbish. How can front line jobs happen without people to work on strategy, HR, Admin etc. Cameron talks of a 20 x multiple for public salaries. Labour should be demanding the same of big business. We need to stop fighting the last election and move with the mood of the people which is decidedly anti-corporate greed. We have bent over backwards to be business friendly and the moment the Tories look a credible victor business shafts us and moves right. With friends like that…. Hopefully the manifesto launch (Maoist cover not withstanding) will help Labour focus on the big differences and put some fire in the belly.
Shame it took Vince Cable to stick it to the Tory business leaders. Instead of the lame Mandleson comment about them being deceived, which was easily rebuffed by calling his response “patronising” why didn’t Labour lay right into them and accuse them of being sickeningly self-satisfied and self-interested. Don’t they care about the thousands of jobs lost by cutting public sector jobs? This idea that ‘back room’ jobs are somehow unnecessary is pure Daily Mail rubbish. How can front line jobs happen without people to work on strategy, HR, Admin etc. Cameron talks of a 20 x multiple for public salaries. Labour should be demanding the same of big business. We need to stop fighting the last election and move with the mood of the people which is decidedly anti-corporate greed. We have bent over backwards to be business friendly and the moment the Tories look a credible victor business shafts us and moves right. With friends like that…. Hopefully the manifesto launch (Maoist cover not withstanding) will help Labour focus on the big differences and put some fire in the belly.