This is a difficult time to be in Government, as the trailing Tories can testify from their opinion poll ratings. It is also a difficult time to be the Opposition, as the narrowing lead enjoyed by Labour also testifies. The government is boxed in by political and financial possibilities and has the responsibility to deliver. The opposition is free not only to oppose for the sake of argument, but free to promote policy which is not subject to practical testing. Although almost everything is running Labour’s way, something is not quite right. Their big lead in the opinion polls is shrinking and although they did well in the local elections in May, they did not do spectacularly well. Those who care about these things blame their leader.
It is not the leader’s gravitas, nor the quality of his leadership which fall short; it is Ed Milliband’s unwillingness to allow a coherent economic policy to be presented, or the inability of his shadow chancellor, the other Ed, to devise one. Either way something has to be done about it and it is the leader’s job to do it. The excuse that it is not possible to devise a policy in advance of the election in 2015 is as unconvincing as a Captain refusing to chart a course for his vessel in advance of it setting sail.
This is giving the Tories the potential of remaining the largest party after 2015, or if defeated by Labour, without the victors gaining an overall majority either, leaving the Lib Dems the potential of perpetual power. The various piecemeal offerings from the two Eds lack any joined up theme and do not paint any picture which voters can recognise, let alone be motivated to vote for.
Then 2015 election may be beyond the reach of the Tories to win, but it is well within the reach of Labour to lose.