Can Labour’s political problems be traced to election ’05?

Although the real political problems started when Brown `did a deal with the devil` over bank regulation `you scratch my back I’ll scratch yours` I think his current problems were guaranteed when he achieved a sustainable majority with an unsustainable 35% of the popular vote – indeed only 22% of everyone on the registers.

Unless the Economy is strong this effectively excludes you from any good press at all as it is perceived you have power that is way beyond your real support – thus easier to be attacked for two reason:

1. It’s simply iniquitous and as politics abhors an imbalance something has to give

2. The press particularly know that there are many more people against a government than for it – thus providing copy fodder

In truth Labour won in ’05 by cajoling Kennedy voters into voting Labour (fear of the bogeyman) and by last minute casual voters who were voting with their wallets.

When the history books have been rewritten most I think will say it would have been better for Labour to have lost to a hung parliament.