The prime minister himself bears some of the responsibility for that. His behaviour at question time has become increasingly dismissive and rude. Unpleasant personal insults are delivered with a smirk. I’m surprised at David Cameron – I thought he’d want to place himself above all that.
Ed Miliband’s dogged approach by contrast is aimed at hammering home some core Labour messages, week after week after week. The government’s taking reckless risks with the economy. They’re cutting too far and too fast. Why is it that the most vulnerable, and especially young people, are bearing the greatest burden of government cuts?
Those are the right messages, and Ed’s right to keep on at them, but it’s still the government story that’s holding sway. That speaks to an iron discipline, as government backbenchers and frontbenchers alike repeat – ad nauseam – that the country’s in a mess, its all Labour’s fault, and there is no alternative – to Labour groans in response.
Now ministers have added a new script, in response to the rising unemployment their policies are already beginning to create. Every job loss is a personal tragedy, they tell us. But crocodile tears aren’t what’s needed, and ministers don’t deserve to be let off the hook.
But while the government’s line’s demonstrably wrong, we need to do much, much more to get our story across. It’s good news that Ed’s strengthening the communications capacity in his office, for it’s really vital that we now set about systematically and consistently repeating our message, ensuring it’s our story that’s heard.
Does the public want to hear our message? Well, I’m convinced it will resonate more and more as the true impact of the cuts begins to be felt. Our focus must be on a careful, sophisticated and savvy political messaging strategy, on establishing a line we all stick to and repeat, a line that’s the opposite of spin: sober, principled and reasoned. That is Ed’s strength. It must be his top priority, and the priority of his new advisers when we return after the Christmas break.
Photo: UK Parliament