Labour: just can't get the staffers these days

I want you to consider three things.

First, the lame response of the Brown team to The Times's pension story. This included Ed Balls misrepresenting the position of the CBI. The best construction you can put on this error (and one I am inclined to accept, actually) is that he was winging it and forgot the CBI's position. This was not very professional.

Second, Des Browne allowing the sailors to sell their stories. Can you imagine Alastair Campbell having allowed that to happen? When he was in charge, he took control of such stories from the outset. It would have been him dealing directly with the tabloids, parcelling out the hostage story in exchange for political favours, including warm coverage of the Prime Minister's role. The alternative? Not very professional.

Third, look at the one minute long introduction by Tony Blair to the Labour Party's new YouTube site. How rubbish is this?

Contrast this downbeat performance in front of some old box files, with Cameron's kick-off to his webcameron. Labour used to do these things with such panache. Now? Not very professional.

Take this together and it is obvious that, aside from their political difficulties, Labour has a serious staffing problem. Where they have talent they don't have a grip, and those who have a grip haven't the talent.

Comments

[Richard Young]

Agree that the Blair intro is rubbish, but I suspect that you're arguing that Cameron is now better at spin and presentation than NuLab. Surely that's damning with faint praise.

What's especially depressing is that the Bush/Blair style of politics - folksy, down-home images presenting politicians who govern through "truthiness" (wikipedia it...) - is now seen as the only way to win. Ugh. Perhaps all the parties need fewer experts in presentation and more with a bit of vision.

Incidentally, I must have missed Labour's adoption of purple as its signature colour. Must be some kind of acknowledgment of Tony's status as Caesar - an autocratic ruler who makes decisions in cabal, finds the legislature an inconvenience, rewards financial aid with honours, happily invades other countries to bring them his own version of civilisation, wins the masses over with bread and circuses... and gets to name their own successor?

[Jeremy Drake]

Purple is also the colour of mourning. Let us therefore join together in mourning the devastation wreaked by this illiberal government while Labour supporters mourn the coming defeat of their party in local elections and later in the general election, by which time perhaps Dark Brown will be Labour's colour.

[Iain MacLaren]

It's like he just can't be bothered. I've never seen a political leader look so uninspiring - Well, except for Jack McConnell, but at least he brightens things up with his gaffes.

[Toetelly]

Hello, I tried to post video and text comments to Tonys blog site but it seems his spin machine is rather heavily censoring the voting public from leaving comments. Rather hypocritical as he himself says his reason for being on youtube is so we get infomation from the horses mouth, as it were, rather that through the media... If you would like to see my video response its here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EuKljDMKfI