From: The Unit
To: GB
Subject: The others
So, pretty good week. Think we can at least say that none of the electoral/political disasters of the week was unforeseen, and we are now providing you with a very accurate summary of where the pitfalls that we are about to fall into are located and often a good approximation of their depth.
Looking back on a few of our previous notes - "We're at rock-bottom: the best place to build firm foundations!" (3 March); "Why Polls aren't as bad as they look: the only way is up, Gordy!" (2 May) - we'd like now to distance ourselves from the notion that there is some natural "bottom line" below which support for the Labour Party cannot dip.
Anyway. Know you are trying to take some downtime and just focus on really big policy issues, cabinet changes, strategy, bread-and-butter politics, plus obviously the funding crisis and matters relating to No 10 personnel.
But while you are enjoying your break, we put together some focus group stuff on what no one here is calling your potential successors. Think it makes very encouraging reading. Happy holiday!
Jack Straw
Know that he is doing the rounds claiming to be the man to lose the election by the narrowest margin. Yet polling suggests that the public do not see him as a "safe pair of hands". The most that the majority of our focus group was prepared to concede was that he was at least "a pair of hands". When we explored this metaphor, John Denham was seen as one hand and Jon Cruddas as a "single huge leg". Although these comments were made towards the end of the day and everyone was very tired.
Geoff Hoon
The public forget the details but seem certain they don't like him. Also there was a strong sense that the punning opportunities of his surname make him unelectable in the modern era ("Hoon do you think you are?", "Hoon with a view", "Hoon's Afraid of Virginia Woolf", "Hoon do you think you are kidding, Mr Hitler?" etc).
Harriet Harman
No one seemed to dislike her personally - but everyone was emphatic that no one else they knew would vote for her.
Ed Balls
Strong feeling he "wouldn't look right" next to Putin or Merkel.
Alan Johnson
People agreed he was a person they'd like to meet in the pub. Which is an important likeability hurdle. Most felt, however, that "nice bloke in the pub" would be the highest level of office they'd feel comfortable with him holding.
David Miliband
Several focus group members claimed to like his face. However, everyone was surprised to learn he was Foreign Secretary. There was a feeling that the role of elected leader of the nation should be filled by somebody that people have previously seen on the television.
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