issues like ‘public service reform’ or new, harsher ways to deal with incapacity benefit claimants rarely permeate the into the mass of public opinion – particualrly after 11 years of a government which has been using similar lines for that whole period – and only serve to alienate those closer to the issues, like voluntary sector groups and trade unions, which serves to alienate the core vote.

i’m not sure i buy the idea that the basic problem is Labour not knowing whether the modern economy can deliver social justice – i think the greater issue is that a generation of politicians whose formative years were during the Thatcher/early Major periods don’t think they can sell the policies required. Nothing frustrates me more than knowing an 11 year Labour government has allowed inequality to grow (yes, x thousands children are out of income poverty but the Tories are right when they note that most were dragged over the median cusp); what else can a Labour, rather than liberal, government be ultimately about than that?

This, to my mind, requires bold narratives based around new and strenghtened universal services (like the NHS, children benefit, CTF etc), that are for all but in practice help the most in need. It might be a bit late now, but if i were Brown i would just go for it on the basis that it is far better to go down fightening, with more enthused activists by your side, than to drift into opposition.

Is Chris Dillow not a contributor to this site? It’s one of his main themes.

I’m not sure that anyone in the current Cabinet has one. There are doubtless younger members who could develop one in Opposition, but a Cabinet with the baggage of ten years of office is no place to do so.

The basic problem (I’ve said this before, but sometimes you have to harp on the same string) is that Labour doesn’t know whether national governments can still deliver social justice in the contemporary economy. If they can, the “how” needs explaining, and if they can’t there isn’t any point to the Party.

What concerns me isn’t the poll ratings (they can change quite quickly), or even the clear exhaustion of the Government Front Bench, but the lack of any indication from leftist intellectuals – wherever based – that the basic problem can be answered “yes”, let alone how. And that’s before we get on to how the left, however defined, can give a coherent answer to the “nationality” question – failure to answer which, remember, was the reason the Communists themselves gave for the collapse of their system. It may yet do for social democracy too, unless someone can come up with answers a whole heap better than any currently on offer.

Nobody I know thinks that the government sticking its nose into anything works, even when it’s as bumbling a government as this one.

Government meddling is entirely the problem, incompetent or not.

They’re sick to death of incompetence, not meddling. The Tories tried the ‘you can’t privatise Northern Rock!!!’ trick. It backfired in their faces.

Interesting that while Guido is writing about large multinationals leaving the UK

Guido of course has no bias when he writes these stories. I mean, its not like he’s ever been played as a tool or run stories JUST so Labour can look bad.

C’mon Bishop, come back to us when you’ve got something useful to say.

PS, Jon Cruddas is excellent.

Extraordinary.

……..someone else has lost touch with reality. Tell 331 councillors they are of no polictical consequence.

Idiot!

Trouble is
(1) people are sick to death of incompetent meddling
(2) if the economy gets so bad that they might welcome it that’s hardly great news for Gordo!

Good luck!