A drubbing

Well that was a drubbing that was...and helluva difficult to see anything to cheer about, if you're Labour that is...times they are a' changing...

What follows for Labour will be difficult: how to avoid the internal blame game and to keep pointing forward.

There is no doubt proportional representation meaning Labour has gone into one coalition or another with a hitherto minority party has made it dead easy for those in Wales or Scotland to put their vote somewhere else. In England it is a clear reaction against rising prices and worries about financial instability. After a decade of never having it so good, Middle Englanders aren't enjoying the financial pinch. In truth, neither too, are Middle Scotlanders ...

My brother and sister in law who are both loyal Labour voters and have young children told me last November they were shocked at the cost of the weekly shop...when working people with decent jobs start to worry about affording the cost of feeding their bairns then the government is in trouble. If Labour wants to win the general election the Chancellor has to find a way to bring down fuel costs sharpish - high fuel costs have an insidious but direct impact on the family budget that no amount of worthy statements about the environment or whatever will contradict.

Most importantly, though, our front bench politicans have to be just that: good politicans, not capable administrators - leave the civil service to do that. Brown et al have an election to win and now, more than ever, is the time for them to start thinking like politicians... and to remember that money is tight for the folk whose votes we need...