Peter Hain: Gordon, you are without a narrative
Peter Hain writes in the Independent on Sunday:
Despite Gordon Brown’s best efforts, Labour has not had a clear enough narrative right across government. Ministers have developed a habit of making technocratic speeches where the very purpose of Labour gets lost. On TV and radio, some now sound more like managers than politicians.
Whatever their individual policy merits, identity cards, Trident, nuclear power, Royal Mail part-privatisation and Heathrow’s third runway do not add up to a programme to get the pulse of potential Labour voters racing. They may each reflect the hard politics of very difficult choices that credible, serious government for the long term always requires – and where Cameron’s hypocritical posturing just demonstrates how unfit for power he is. But where is the story in all that; where is the distinctive Labour narrative; where are the Labour values of social justice and freedom?
Above all, Labour must be ready with a much more compelling prospectus for progressive government that covers our plans both for overcoming the current financial crisis and for using the power of the state and international co-operation to build a better society.
A fourth-term Labour government needs to be active and enabling, rather than centralising and controlling. It needs to empower individual citizens and local communities to take control of the decisions which affect their own lives through a much more radical approach to devolution of power and budgets.
March 8th, 2009 at 18:42
I think Labour lost connection with the electorate when they announced ID cards back in late 2001 after having previously been firmly against them (and winning two elections as a result).
Democracy is all about listening to what the public says and taking action based on this feedback, not merely imposing your will by manipulating the media, fixing statistics and public consultations or otherwise trying to con the public to accept what you say without question.
March 9th, 2009 at 20:33
“Social justice and freedom”? Well, well, where do we go from there? Identity cards and freedom all in one article from a man who had a think tank that did not do any thinking, had no receptionist answering the telephone, and even no high powered employees to make any reports to sell to anybody. Curiously enough though this think tank had enough ability to give 103,000 pounds to Hain’s deputy leadership bid. Sounds like the kind of speeches that Harriet Harman makes from time to time. I no longer trust New Labour with anything. Remember when Blair went to the House of Commons to plead for support but forgot to mention the 45 minutes claim. Outside of the commons he couldn’t stop talking about it. To hell and damnation with them and liars like them.