Peter Kenyon

Labour more sleazy than Tories poll - time to act

Reuters has just sent that headline round the world on the back of a Times report today of the latest Populus poll conducted after news of the Conway story broke. This role reversal compared with the mid-1990s requires radical action from Labour, and its not state-funding of political parties. What's the PLP's position?

Labour poll lead - Something for the weekend?

Start smiling! Read the URL carefully. Where are we in the electoral cycle?

Can Labour rebuild trust in government?

The latest Ipsos/Mori poll in its year-end review shows that 63% of those polled don't trust government to tell the truth.

The press release states:

David Cameron achieving the highest satisfaction rating for any Conservative leader in 15 years, since John Major won the 1992 General Election. Net satisfaction for Cameron is at +6%, while satisfaction with Gordon Brown falls to -23% and satisfaction with the Government is at -37%.

Our latest voting intention figures show a 7 point Conservative lead, with the Conservatives on 42%, Labour on 35% and the Liberal Democrats on 14%.

I accept this is not a big enough lead for the Conservatives to get overly excited about. But I remain convinced that the key to Labour winning a 4th term involves a radical repositioning of the party to change the public's perception of Labour politicians, and Labour policies.

The scale of the challenge is in the Ipsos/Mori Delivery Index questions 7 to 10

I trust the government to act in the best interests of the country Disagree  53%	I trust the government to tell the truth Disagree 69%	I have influence over the government's policies Disagree 79%	I have influence over how public services are delivered Disagree 70%

Is Brown an ace multi-tasker or doomed to thrashing?

A stark question looms for Labour's new Prime Minister this week. Is he capable of fulfilling the role of Prime Minister and Labour Party leader - leading the country and carrying the electorate with him as well as rebuilding Labour as a solvent, mass membership, democractically run mainstream political party? That would be truly exceptional multitasking. Or will he suffer what the techies call 'thrashing' as defined here? Britain's recent political history....

Time for Labour to shrug off tyranny of the polls?

Appearance rules. That's how Brown's first 100 days were summed up by yours truly in Chartist's September/October 2007 edition. The risks are analysed today here by Simon Jenkins in the Guardian:

Brown and Cameron are also vulnerable. They have allowed the buffer institutions of democracy to atrophy. Their party members have been pushed below the salt, and blind - or at least Melbournian - loyalty has gone too.

I'd been plugging an awakening for Conference. Wrong. Jenkins just speculates about who will be the next victim.

I'm hoping those advising Mr Brown have got a fix on that Hayden Phillips Inquiry and seen the light - a principled funding policy beckons as the first step to rebuilding the Party - a buffer institution of our democracy.