Getting out of the Brown stuff
TonyHannon Mon Apr 14, 2008 at 03:49:25 PM GMT 
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What will it take to restore the Party's reputation and popularity?
I flatter myself that I’m a pretty accepting and compromising person when it comes to party politics and sticking up for this Government. Perhaps I’m a little naïve, but I think that the electorate are more accepting than they’re given credit for.
As a Party, we’ve had some defending to do since last year – another donation scandal, HMRC data loss followed by several other Government losses, the handling of Northern Rock nationalisation, CGT and non-dom tax announcements and climb downs, dwindling poll figures (even though they’re pointless anyway), Chinese Olympic thugs in Downing St., talk of plotting etc etc blah blah blah
Now it’s enough to make the case on doorsteps or canvassing before an election to make the best possible case in each argument: “Nobody was prosecuted.” “The data loss was awful but not unheard of. Large private companies lose data too, so to be fair, we ought to consider what the Chancellor did once he found out. He acted decisively and appropriately.” “The opposition had no option on Northern Rock and therefore no credibility to attack from sidelines.” “CGT changes show a co-operative government” etc etc.
Not long before one sounds like a blinkered, lacky apologist but there are counter arguments to be made in the Government’s and the Prime Minister’s defence. However, do you know what sticks in my craw about this guy? You know what the really vexing thing is? He rarely, if ever, shows up to face the music. He’ll have us do it on doorsteps where people are less collegiate than a lobby journalist but won’t do it himself.
He doesn’t answer questions. He didn’t invent the practice but certainly perpetuates it. Can you imagine canvassing someone by asserting “I think Gordon has a vision for Britain” and then have no cue from Gordon expanding on that ‘vision’? How disrespectful is it for a Labour activist to dismissively answer a question from a voter with “I think the important thing is…” when they mention something awkward? Yet this is the PR practice of a craven leader when he actually shows up.
I remember in the run up to the Iraq war, Tony Blair went into a hostile studio audience and faced slow clapping, almost farcically tough questions and an angry Sir Trevor MacDonald. Even if you disagree with a policy, you’re somewhat assured when the main protagonist of the policy is willing to go into enemy territory to defend it.
Not so with Gordon. I look at the conference Q&A where barely a question from his own Party members went satisfactorily answered. The video link is out there somewhere. Waffle and platitudes around the topics raised.
Whenever there was a crisis for Blair – Gordon was nowhere to be found and a statement came a few days after the fact. We’ve now stumbled from issue, to crisis, to non-issue for almost a year and this guy never makes his argument convincingly.
To put it frankly – someone who has hidden away from difficult conversations with the public and the press has no real right to associate himself with courage.
Someone who contrived relentlessly and remorselessly to oust the most successful leader this party has ever had is in ill a position to expect loyalty.
Someone with the least credible ability to argue a case or policy has no right to call himself leader.
Yet – I still have hope for Gordon. If he were only to begin answering questions comprehensively, spoke frankly and admitted where he made mistakes. He’s restore confidence or, at the very least, belief in his ability.
If he only dropped that utterly fake and patronising grin on those awful Youtube videos and reverted to the wonkish, bookish but informed and reliable man we understand him to be – he’d make serious progress.
If only he could get these new PR people to actually do their job properly by doing their job less visibly – he could speak credibly on honesty and spin.
A credible, straight talking leader could flatly call out journos on the hypocrisy of their recent “lack of leadership” articles when they berated Blair for “sofa decision making”.
An honest, trustworthy leader could give people a straight appraisal of the economic situation so they get an assurance about where they stand rather than believing every word sounds like spin.
Am I dreaming colleagues? What will it take for Gordon to turn it around?
Getting out of the Brown stuff | 53 comments (53 topical)
Getting out of the Brown stuff | 53 comments (53 topical)
