Given Labour’s wide but shallow general election victory in July, it is hardly surprising that its poor polling performance and the rise of the far right are causing angst in political circles (Labour’s big Farage problem has a simple solution: build, build, build, 8 December). One problem is that reliance on the C-word – change, an effectively directionless concept – left voters with no clear picture of Labour’s intentions. If Barack Obama represented change, so does Donald Trump. The plan for change, while containing some worthwhile targets, is essentially a retail offer, heavily reliant on the dread word delivery, often outside the government’s control.
There are other C-words that provide a better basis for a winning programme. These include competence, conviction, consistency, coherence and communication – and in all these areas, Labour gives the appearance of floundering. There is time to turn things around in the next four and a half years, but this needs a programme of political education. If it appears that Labour is heading for a one-term government, two other C-words come into play: collaboration with other broadly progressive parties and charisma. Labour is unlikely to prosper with leadership languishing in the polling doldrums. It should not leave it too long before considering who might be best placed to take Labour forward.
Dr Anthony Isaacs
London
