Why Harmangate is bad news for Cameron

By John Rentoul

No one is paying any attention to the Conservatives while lightning continues to strike the same place - Gordon's forehead - not twice but 10 times and counting. They should be. For the last two Prime Minister's Questions David Cameron's performance has been poor. Both times Gordon Brown was in a hopeless position: last week the HMRC discs had gone missing; this week it was "unlawful" Labour donations. Both times Brown made a reasonable fist of saying "It's unacceptable and I'm sorting it out" while Cameron opted for easy sound bites.

The problem is that it is too easy for the Leader of the Opposition. This is the critical time for him to get his policies right. Michael Gove has done a fabulous job of putting the grammar school tangle behind him and getting ahead of Labour on education policy. But on tax and spend, the environment, immigration, housing, transport, foreign policy, the Conservatives haven't a clue. The temptation will be for Cameron to think he does not need to bother.  (Although there are those in the anti-complacency faction, such as the Tory strategist quoted by Tara Hamilton-Miller in the New Statesman who complains that "We've already won back the people living up crunchy drives" in southern England, but still need the northern working class.)

He can sit on a huge poll lead now - I think ComRes uses the most realistic weighting of any of the pollsters - and wait for Labour to fall apart. But that leaves the way open for Labour to come back under David Miliband in a year's time. Or, and this is possibly worse, to form a government, probably a coalition, in two-and-a-half years' time, without having done the hard work of preparation that would give it any chance of durability.

Comments

[Napoleon]

"open for Labour to come back under David Miliband in a year's time."
Does this mean that you rule out any comeback with Gordon as leader?

[John]

Could I have some reheated received wisdom with a side of chips and a spam fritter please. Oh and don't bother paying attention to what's actually happening here, I really just want another apparently striking insight into the workings of Westminster that turns out to be the musings of an out of a mediocre journo sitting at his desk hoping for a pick up in his career.

Thanks.

[markinchiswick]

You're right John - the Tories are not yet in a comprable position to Labour leading upto '97. The public may be uneasy about Labour but remain unconvinced by the Tories. Cameron has perfected the art of soundbites and this is helping motivate his troops as well as win the battle for headlines. On policy - with the possible exception of education - they are nowhere.