Of course, Labour can win, and victory is more likely under Gordon Brown than under any other leader. But the Prime Minister has to begin, and begin quickly, to re-establish his reputation as a politician of principle. That requires more than obviously contrived “initiatives”. Nobody is going to come home to Labour because offenders are made to perform community work in tabards that identify them as miscreants. Daring is dangerous. But caution is doomed. Gordon Brown wants a more equal society in which need determines the government’s priorities and the market is kept in its proper place. When those principles guided his policies ( “There is a better way to help regeneration than a mega-casino”) he was unbeatable. When he trimmed to outflank the Conservatives he slumped in the polls. He has to take risks and make enemies. But his best weapon now is his real convictions. As somebody said: “Best when we are Labour.”
Roy Hattersley, Labour peer and former deputy leader, is a political commentator and author
Content from our partners
