Once upon a time, it was possible to be all things to all people. Back in 1993, when Sir Tony Blair was invited to contribute his favourite recipe to the Islington Cookbook, he selected fettuccine with olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes and capers. By the time he entered Downing Street, his favourite meal had morphed into the Mondeo Man of dishes, fish and chips (with or without guacamole).
Yet even Sir Tony couldn’t ignore Labour’s great political weakness, the fear among the public — one that the Conservatives were only too happy to exploit — that its fiscal incontinence would lead it to spend money the country didn’t have. Memories of the winter of 1978-9 were still fresh to many.
