It isn't enough to be half competent, polling well on some areas but poorly on others.
It isn’t enough to be half competent, polling well on some areas but poorly on others
The weekend polling will not have made great reading for Ed Miliband. A YouGov poll in today’s Sunday Times (£) gave the Tories a two-point lead over Labour, 36 per cent to 34 per cent. This came after a poll on Friday which gave the Tories a single point lead.
Meanwhile criticism of Miliband’s strategy from key Labour Party figures has been growing louder. Former deputy PM John Prescott accused Labour in the Sunday Mirror of pursuing a ‘core vote strategy’, while Labour MP John Mann has branded the latest polling a ‘wake-up call’ to those ‘at the top of the party’.
Former adviser to Tony Blair and Gordon Brown Patrick Diamond has also said that Labour ‘appears politically on the back foot’.
Along with the two polls, concerns about the party’s direction of travel appear to have been heightened by the recent party conference, where Miliband was criticised for ‘forgetting’ the two sections of his speech which dealt with immigration and the deficit.
It would be a mistake, however, to view this as simply a case of a leader of the opposition fluffing his lines. Miliband’s forgetfulness is indicative of a bigger problem Labour has had recently of focusing on areas where the party is already strong – to the detriment of areas where the Tories have a lead.
In contrast, David Cameron has done the opposite, focusing on the NHS in order to make inroads into Labour’s lead on the issue but, more importantly, balancing the Conservatives’ ‘tough’ message with compassion.
Now Labour needs to focus on the areas where it is viewed with suspicion. Yes it’s important to draw attention to the coalition’s failure to protect the NHS, but Labour must also fight on ground where it is seen in a more negative light. According to YouGov, over half (55 per cent) think the economy is the most important issue facing the country, while 55 per cent think immigration and asylum are. In contrast, health is chosen by 39 per cent.
That means talk about health – certainly – but don’t necessarily view it as the issue that will decide the election. September polling by Ipsos MORI found that the most important issue for voters at the next election is the economy – and the Tories have a lead here of 25 points. This is not good enough.
The Conservatives appear finally to have grasped that the best-rounded party will win next year’s election. For the Tories this means keeping a tough message on the deficit, welfare and immigration but balancing it with messaging on safeguarding the NHS and rewarding hard work.
Labour ought to take note and recognise that, if it wants to win power next year, it will have to convince voters it can be trusted in those areas where it is currently weak. That means talking, where appropriate, about the deficit, about immigration and about business.
It isn’t enough to be half competent, polling well on some areas but poorly on others. Voters want to see a government-in-waiting. They want to know that Labour has all its bases covered, not only those it feels comfortable attacking the coalition on.
The idea of ‘One Nation’ Labour, which Miliband appears to have dropped of late, is premised on the notion that Labour can govern for everyone; or more specifically, that everyone is a potential Labour voter. Such a strategy has far more potential than anything which focuses solely on Labour’s ‘core vote’, but pursuing it means meeting voters head on in every area which might shape their voting decision next May.
Labour still hasn’t done enough to address its weaknesses. It has talked an awful lot to the party, but not enough to the country.
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47 Responses to “Labour must address its weaknesses”
osho
I suspect that when you stop thinking of me as the enemy with some sinister policies, you will find that we agree on a lot of things. The bankers are parasites, and perhaps the only sensible thing Ed Milliband ever said was about predatory capitalism being different from productive one. The growth of the city is bad news indeed, as is the London-centric Uk economy. And Milton Friedman’s neo-liberalism will turn out to be a global disaster. As will globalisation whereby capital knows no national boundaries, restricting the ability of politicians to look after the national interest. But that does not mean that the left has arrived at the right answers.
Who destroyed grammar schools, the one way poor kids could climb up? Who insisted that all must have prizes, every one must go to university, when what we needed was kids with vocational skills? Race and identity politics were a created by British left. In fact you can date it precisely to Ken Livingstone’s time in GLA.Who sold the gold reserve? Who was in charge in Rotherham when industrial style abuse was taking place? What do you think will emerge from Bradford, Burnley, Derby….?
I dont resist change. We badly need it. And none of the current lot have an answer. But we don’t need left/right dogma. And of what I have seen of current British politics, I find labour has a lot more to answer for.
And please lets not get angry.
🙂
The_Average_Joe_UK
Thats a question that Labour fundamentally does not want to answer. Its absolute and momentous weakness are as a result of its ideology being totally missaligned to the current times. The public cant trust a party with so many ideological issues. Examples:
A normal person would say, get me the best health service for 100Bn. Labour on the other hand would say no private sector blah blah….
The left refuse to learn the lessons of its past and the failing of left wing intervention around the world, France is on its knees and Ed was very proud to cite how the neh sayers would throw Venezuela in his face. Well the truth is that is fundamentally the issue. Both of those countries have been killed by ideological socialist leadership. He cant stand up and say its worked here and there and thats what I’m going to do.
Labour have taken the votes of the working class for granted, its coming back to haunt them. Ordinary people aren’t fixated with Unions, socialism and Class War. Labour is losing the support of ordinary people as a result and there is no going back. Labour is a movement for the crass metro fools at its head, the apparatchiks and others who are averse to getting on with life in general (JB). If you dont agree you get called a Tory, as if thats a insult.
Upvote to agree.
The_Average_Joe_UK
The trouble is that there are too many in Labour ranks who see any mention of fraud as an attack. Dismissing it as irrellevant etc… Labour cannot make the right decisions, Its to ideological to do a good job. QED they screw the economy up every time they get in.
The_Average_Joe_UK
Spot on. There is nobody at the head of Labour with any understanding of business, experience or the credibility.
Changing that is a nightmare as there is no plan in play to do it.
The_Average_Joe_UK
He’ll be back in a mo to call you a right winger.