It’s not new to say that it’s important that Labour doesn’t allow this message to stick, but this month’s budget is Labour’s last chance to set the record straight. We have to seize the opportunity.
The tactic is age-old and is used by all political parties. Justify your actions by shifting the narrative on a critical issue so the majority of voters believe that something fundamentally different is occurring than the reality suggests. The language used by Conservative ministers on the economy is frighteningly simplistic, but it has successfully twisted the public’s view of our current economic situation and the options available to us as a country to address our deficit.
An ICM poll in October last year showed that 52 per cent of voters believe that the cuts announced in the spending review are unfair, while 48 per cent think they go too far. However, it’s clear that opposition is not overwhelming, with fully 44 per cent agreeing that the cuts were fair, 36 per cent thinking they were right – and eight per cent arguing they didn’t go far enough.
The consequences of their current economic strategy are not being discussed in the public domain by the Conservatives, and the government has succeeded in numbing the nation into a zombie-like acceptance of their economic policy despite the noticeable impact their cuts are likely to have in most of our communities.
There are a few noisy exceptions to this. Some trade unions have spoken out publicly about the impact on their members, and Labour MPs have continuously called on ministers to justify the dramatic cuts in spending – in particular on cuts to Labour-run local authorities.
However, the robust comments from the Conservatives just keep getting stronger, and this week George Osborne declared that there is a domestic and international consensus on the government’s economic policy. We might have a hunch that this phrase will come back to bite him, but the fact is that the media didn’t bat an eyelid at the chancellor’s statement, and nor did many people across the country. It has become an urban myth that Labour is to blame for our current economic crisis, and that Labour borrowed money irresponsibly to pay for public services. The longer we allow the Conservatives’ narrative to stick in people’s minds, the longer it will take us to convince voters to trust us on the economy again.
This month’s budget is our last chance to get this right. Labour has to develop a clear and accurate message to counter the prevailing narrative, one that is digestible by the media and which also has a sharp political kick to knock the government off balance. If we wait any longer we risk George Osborne’s second budget proving to be a defining moment for Labour. One where we failed to react with enough intellectual vigour to current events and the difficult political situation we’ve found ourselves in. More importantly, the millions of voters who are worried about their family’s futures as a result of spending cuts will never forgive Labour for not coming up with a credible and effective opposition to George Osborne’s prevailing economic consensus.
Say something fo substance for once you management speak hack!
I could not agree more with your comments, David. Ed Miliband’s ‘softly, softly’ approach to this Tory-led government’s decimation of our public services and the privatization of our assets (like the NHS) needs to be vociferously opposed by Labour if we are to regain our lost support. I disagree with the proposition, supported by some Labour MPs, that the electorate are uncomfortable with confrontation and more inclined to consensus politics. What utter nonsense! The electorate want division. They want the opportunity to prefer the policies of one party over another and they want to believe that the party they support and vote for is credible and will protect their interests. They will not vote Labour if, during these savage cuts, the Party Leadership fails to give them sufficient hope for a better future. What depresses me about Ed Miliband is a) his lack of aggression in the face of these unneccessary chops, and b) his reluctance to put the wellbeing of the people before the ‘duty to reduce the deficit.’ For goodness sake, Ed, stop using media time apologizing for past Labour ‘mistakes’ and start to be a credible ‘opposition’ by opposing, on principle, every policy of this government.
Was it last October that the IMF warned that unless the Government was not careful it could see every 1% cut in public expenditure being matched by a 1% cut in economic growth? This would only worsen with the onset of rising inflation. Unfortunately for our Leaders not one economic crisis is like another. Also, they seemed to have persuaded many that Government finance is just like that of an ordinary household, the deficit is important and we are facing bankruptcy. Two of those are untrue and the third needs to be put in context as: “important in relation to what?” April will be the watershed when all the Government’s plans start to seriously effect the living standards of us all and, hopefully, many will begin to seriously question why we are all in this together, as in: “Why me?” I still expect the Lib. Dems to be wiped out in those seats under contention in May and please do not tell me that will be a great loss and Labour needs to work with these people blah, blahdiddy blahblah because I will say that you do not know these people and being exposed in Government as liars came as no surprise to me! How agressive should E. Miliband be? Should he stride across the chamber and tear Osborne’s neck out, metaphorically speaking? Or does the Electorate not like agressive pushy politicians or is that just the meejar saying that it doesn’t?
David where did you get this information from? A Poplus/Time poll showed that three-quarters of voters reject the speed and scale of cuts to the public sector. Only one in five voters agree with the coalition plan to deal with the deficit by the next general election. Asked to rank in order the causes of Britain’s record public deficit, voters blame the UK banks, then American banks followed by the Bank of England and the global recession. Gordon Brown came in fifth. However, Ed Miliband has been leader for 6 months now and has still not told us what Labour’s policies are. This is disappointing. It is no good just condemning everything the Tories do without saying what the alternative is. What is Labour’s alternative to bring down the deficit? What is Labour’s alternative to pay for higher education, i.e. university. What is Labour going to do about immigration? Many voters are concerned about immigration. Another thing Ed Miliband keeps apologising. What for? Labour had a lot of successes during its 13 years in power. In order to win back those 5 million lost voters Labour needs to say what direction it is leading Britain and needs to be in touch with the electorate. The Tories are making cuts for ideology reasons and are using the deficit as an excuse for the cuts. People join the Conservative party because they want little state control and want tax cuts. If Labour does not get its act together Cameron will get a second term and they will be further cuts to public services. Tories cut public services – deficit or no deficit.
All good, except for the part about it being a “myth” that Labour borrowed money irresponsibly to pay for public services. The sooner Labour admits that it did just that, the sooner it will stand a chance of being considered by the Electorate again.