On the face of it Labour has problems. It is not proving an effective opposition. Its economic policy is weak and largely discredited. New disclosures of the damage done to the Labour government and the country by the Tony and Gordon feud are history, but bad nevertheless. So is evidence of warnings over excessive government spending, from officials. Now we are told that we have to wise up to a new feud, between the one Milliband and the other.
Just for now Labour has enough lead in the polls to give it a working majority. This would unravel during a tough election campaign, especially if Scotland decided to send a lot of Nationalists to Westminster. The Tories have found winning elections more difficult without Scotland. Labour would not be able to win at all. So, before things get out of control, Labour needs to get a grip.
First, the Millibands and their wives must have repeated public love-ins to make clear that the rumours of a feud are false and the books mistaken. Second, the party has to develop a general theme of economic renewal which is in a different league to the cut slower waffle of the moment. Third, it needs to wise up to the fact that there was a lot wrong with its meddling with the NHS and must now show how it now plans to get this so called national treasure to deliver modern healthcare. Fourth it must explain how it would restore rigour to both teaching and examinations, all of which slipped under New Labour. Fifth it must address the issues of excesses at both the top and bottom of society, to restore the much fairer aspiration of the not too recent past. Society must be fair and inclusive. It does not have to be big and managing.
Finally it needs to take a look at the public utilities and whether in their current privatised form, they are delivering an outcome which is in the national interest. There is no case which would gain public support for wholesale nationalisation on the Clause Four model. Taxpayer ownership of shares to ensure a share of these mega profits went back into the public coffers might, on the other hand, prove very popular.
In blunt summary, Labour must now show it is an effective opposition and, if given the opportunity again to govern, it will offer more than spendthrift economics, credit booms and internal quarrels.