The Wardman Wire

For the good of the country, something must give

It has all gone a bit quiet on the domestic political front. The focus of the media is on Beijing and Georgia, while the focus of most of our MPs will be looking out to sea on their holidays.

But one story remains. Gordon Brown’s leadership. Nick Raynsford is the latest to stir the cauldron. This is now the political narrative that will be with GB until something happens – which is why something needs to happen. This speculation will not die and will hound the government until either someone makes a direct challenge to Gordon Brown or Gordon Brown has a “put up or shut up” moment similar to Major when he resigned as Tory leader in 1995. Because until this happens the electorate are being denied serious politics and policy – all at a time when we need our politicians to be on the ball more than ever.

How bad are things for the government?

In his New Statesman article, Raynsford asks how much trouble Labour are in what can be done about it.

First off – I agree with Nick. Labour are in a deep hole. Crushing defeats at by-elections are not uncommon for mid-term governments. But the sort of swings we have seen in Glasgow East and in Crewe and Nantwich suggest that this is more than mid-term blues. This is serious. But is it 1990 serious, when the Tories survived by a change of leader or is 1995 serious when there really was no saving the Tories?

Once again, I agree with Nick on this. I just do not sense that the electorate has bought into the Tories yet like they had with Tony Blair by 1997. I still do not think that a hung parliament with a Labour simple majority is out of the question either. It is improbable, yes. But impossible? No. If the polls can narrow for Labour back in to single figures they can still form the next government. But how to narrow those figures?

GB must go

I do not see it happening with Gordon Brown as PM. The narrative is set with him – speculation over his leadership will not go away. And while the speculation follows him, he cannot govern the country. Brown in charge is damaging for the Labour party and it is damaging for the country. We cannot discuss serious policy anymore. Look at the latest policy issues: tax relief on fuel bills and a freeze on stamp duty. These should be policies that are cheered by the media and electorate, but instead they are actually causing the government and the markets damage. Things we can ill afford with the credit crunch biting.

Get your own house in order first

I do disagree with Raynsford belief that the government should focus on the Tories and their weaknesses. This is a tactic that failed Ken Livingstone and has so far failed Gordon Brown. Attacking the opposition for the sake of it while not backing it up with serious and strong agendas of your own is a waste of time and disliked by the electorate. No one has bought the “Cameron is a used car salesman line” or the “Tories stand for nothing line”. Because the problem is no one knows what Brown stands for anymore and he can’t sell anything to the electorate at all.

Do not confuse activity with outcomes

However, I do agree with Raynsford in one area:

“One of the greatest mistakes in government is to confuse activity with outcomes. Just because ministers feel busy devising 101 new ways of tackling a problem does not guarantee the problem gets solved.”

Gesture politics is what New Labour has been reduced to and it is why the Tories have not yet been bought in to. The government does need to get serious and it needs to show its intention. Not through meaningless one off tax breaks or playground snide attacks on the opposition. It needs to stop government being about soap operas and speculation (which we all are sucked in to, granted). It needs to focus on a tight and small but far reaching set policies and a clear vision.

Time is fast running out for Labour. Labour needs to change its leader and start governing– not for the good of the party, but for the good of the country.