Sunday 26 September 2010

Random thoughts on the leadership

1. Just watched Ed on Andrew Marr. It was a very solid performance, and included some very explicit messages about sticking to the centre ground. Mrs P is (as always) the person I listen to most and she thought he was very good, which I take as a good sign. My only criticism is that he was perhaps too moderate! But certainly not the neo-marxist union puppet you can read about elsewhere.

2. I texted a mate this morning to say the press would give him a fair crack of the whip and objectively analyse his positions on issues. This was a joke. We both knew that the idea that the right-wing press would do what it is notionally there to do (report what is broadly objectively true) is laughable. The coverage this morning tells you all you need to know - they will seek to impose a lefty/union puppet label on him from day one, and this was the obvious danger in electing him as leader.

3. BUT - let's not make the major error of assuming that the right-wing press and commentariat know what the hell they are talking about. It makes me smile to see them try and portray Ed as the IDS-style choice (much as I respect him, surely that was the other Ed in this race), especially when some of these same people backed IDS being leader!

The Right still don't really get that they didn't actually win the last election, and they assume that their view is the majority one. Because they are (understandably) puffed up by being in power they are hubristic, and I suspect this will cause them problems later on. Too many of them swallowed the line that there were easy cuts in the public sector - a view they are rapidly being disabused of. Similarly they swallowed the TPA line on public sector pensions- an area where Labour could make some mischief (a subject for a later post). I think they may have just talked themselves into believing that Ed will veer wildly to the Left and as such underestimated him to a large degree. Beware commentators saying this is a 'win' for the Tories - they may be principally trying to convince themselves.

4. Bloody hell, Ed just mentioned corporate governance and, more specifically, remuneration committees on Andrew Marr. This makes me happy.

5. I am genuinely optimistic about Labour's chances this morning. Let's get to it.

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