Watching them, watching us: Blears on Cameron

We recently learnt that Labour intends to paint David Cameron as some sort of slippery estate agent.  More of Labour's tactics are revealed in an interview given to Progress magazine by Labour Chair Hazel Blears:

• People are no longer embarrassed to vote Tory: "‘Until relatively recently I don’t think people were interested in the Tories. People were embarrassed to admit to being Tories. That position has changed.’ The local elections revealed that ‘where they are traditionally strong, the Tories are now coming back quite hard. The vote that stayed at home is now prepared to actually come out.’"
• Labour closer to public on homeland security: "The Tory leader, charges Labour’s chair, is also beginning to betray signs of ‘really poor strategic judgment’... On issues surrounding crime and security, ranging from some of the anti-terrorism measures to the serious organised crime bill and ID cards, the Conservatives are now ‘not sure where they are and whether to align themselves with the civil liberties lobby’. The government’s proposals, by contrast, are ‘where the public are’."
• Unimpressed with Built to Last: "Blears is moreover unimpressed with the statement of aims and values Cameron published at the beginning of the year: ‘motherhood and apple pie, anybody could have written it; so it’s not quite his Clause IV moment.’"
• Economy will be central issue: "‘I think what the public are interested in, when it comes to making the big decisions, is: is this the man you want to be prime minister? Can you trust him if he says one thing and does another, if he says one thing and changes his mind? That then starts to make people think: if you can’t trust him on his policy issues, can you trust him with your mortgage, can you trust him with your job, can you trust him with the interest rates, when [Labour’s] strength is being absolutely solid on the economy? And then you have got the bit that says: if you can’t quite trust him, do I take a risk? And you don’t take a risk on your mortgage and your job and your kids future, do you?’ Blears concludes: ‘I think there is an analysis there that we will build up, that we will work hard on him. But it is not personal, Mr Cameron.’"

Comments

[John Coles]

A little too near the mark, isn't it? Future progress will now hinge more on Labour failings (of which there are many) than on Mr Cameron's policy musings.

[David Banks]

Whenever i watch Hazel B on the TV I am always struck by her remarkable similarity to Data , the fully functioning android from top sci-fi show 'Star Trek - the next generation'

Its not so much the face , as the i-speak-your-weight flavour of her pronouncements. Long term politico's will not be left reeling i suspect at her implication that a 'motherhood and applepie' statement could have written written by anyone. Thats just the point, DC is drawing attention to what is actually important to the vast majority of people not just the inhabitants of planet westminster. Incidentally , Hazel what is wrong with motherhood and apple pie ? I happen to be a fan of both parenting and pudding.

[Donal Blaney]

I am interested in her view that it was the voters who stayed at home who recently came back out to vote. I would have thought that it was actually politically interested voters who had voted Lab or LibDem who had switched to us and that those who have stayed at home since 1992 are STILL staying at home (ie the disaffected C2s).

[John Coles]

Absolutely, Donal.

[Andy Peterkin]

She epitomises everything that is wrong with the Government - talentless, over-promoted and acting in the interests of herself and the Labour Party, not the country.

[John Hustings]

I think there are more stay-at-homers than ever before. The only difference is that *all* the main parties seem to be shedding support.

[John Hustings]

"Thats just the point, DC is drawing attention to what is actually important to the vast majority of people not just the inhabitants of planet westminster."

Actually, I think appealing to planet westminster is exactly what Cameron is interested in.

[Justin Hinchcliffe]

They're worried - very worried about project Dave.

[Andrew Peterkin]

Its amazing that they're already going negative on Cameron, what, maybe three years before a General Election.

I've been a critic of Cameron, but there is no doubt he frightens them.

[MH]

You know. it's a tough call. Who is the bigger waste of space. Francis Maude or Hazel Blears?

[Richard]

Isn't she the one who has to claim everything is fine and dandy for Labour after they've suffered some huge upset?

[Patsy Sergeant]

David Banks @ 9.58 - I just quoted your first paragraph to my builder and he got a good laugh out of it!!!

[Andy Peterkin]

"The Americans will burn in their tanks!!!"

[TaxCutter]

Its a good interview. Blears has set out clearly where Labour think Cameron is weak and can be attacked and they might be on to something.

1. They will portray his "hug a hoodie" liberalism as being soft on crime, not least as it plays well to the Tabloids. Long-term Labour may struggle here given their record, plus DD will lead the attack.

2. DC can't be trusted with the economy - Blears sees this as remaining as a key electoral issue and she's probably right.

This is more worrying, during the leadership campaign DC struggled most on tax and the economy, and Labour have noted the weakness. Unless DC and team radically improve on the economy then Labour will score points here.

Following the reports of the various commissions, then developing clear competition and tax policies would help.

[TimC]

1. People are no longer embarrassed to vote Tory.
So true and an incredible achievement that should not be understated.

2. Labour closer to public on homeland security
Our position on ID cards and civil liberties should be something to be proud of and as the cost of ID cards raise, this could actually work very much to our favour.

3. Economy will be the central issue
It will be a key factor as in every other election. However, with rising debt and potential rises in inflation and interest rates a possibility, Labour may not be able to keep the economy on the tracks that they inherited.

[Stephen Tolkinghorne]

Whilst David Cameron is indeed untrustworthy and pathetic, Hazel Blears should hardly be congratulating herself. Afterall, not only is the leader of her party a pathological liar, but for many years she's been a senior minister at the Home Office, where she's been responsible for turning it into a department which is totally incapable of doing it's job, and of presiding over one of the biggest crises in Britain's history, ie. a combination of uncontrolled mass immigration and spiralling crime rates, that is almost entirely due to the insanity and incompetence of her and her fellow New Labour front benchers. Obviously the woman doesn't understand the notion of shame or the term 'irony'.

[Serf]

Our position on ID cards and civil liberties should be something to be proud of and as the cost of ID cards raise, this could actually work very much to our favour.

From a purely power game point of view, the best opposition is to something that is currently popular but will become unpopular in the future.

There is something kneejerk about enthusiasm for id cards, which fades rapidly when people discuss the drawbacks.

Thus we have the chance to look principled and be popular.

[David Banks]

Patsy - thanks , always glad to raise a smile!