Countdown to the UK General Election

We are now fifteen months to the next General Election and things are beginning to hot up. 

The right wing media mainly the Daily Mail published articles about three senior Labour politicians Harriet Harman, Jack Dromey and Patricia Hewitt. 

It was mainly do with the roles in they had in the National Council of Civil Liberties and what they did or did do to get rid of affiliates the Paedophile Information Exchange. 

The Daily Mail run this story for about six days before Harriet Harman and her husband Jack Dromey responded. 

 

Although there response confirmed that they had nothing but contempt for this group. The Daily Mail have been determined to get some political capital out of this. 

I have to say that the Labour Party response was fairly late and it was somewhat a weak response. 

Ultimately if Labour want to get back in power they need up their game and be prepared for the mud slinging contest.

As the Tories aided and betted by the right wing media are ready sling some mud to get them reelected. 

If Labour want to get relected then they have to be prepared to fire back at the smears or sling some mud of their own.

Prime Minister Question's

Yesterday Prime Ministers Question's was on the back of the good news that unemployment had gone done to 7.1%.

However Ed Miliband first three questions to David Cameron was about the humanitarian crisis currently going on in Syria. 

Ed was trying to encourage David Cameron to take in some of the refugees. There exchanges where polite but I couldn't help but think that. 

David Cameron reluctance to taking in Syrian refugees is more about appeasing his media backers like the Daily Mail and not given any political ground to UKIP.

 

Ed next three questions where about the economy and at that this stage like Ed put it that David Cameron had fallen back into his 'bullingdon club' routine. 

The Ed was trying to stay calm and not shout but that may not be so effective in the chamber. 

So Ed did well this his six questions but David Cameron came across as more commanding as he shouted a little louder than Ed did. 

Prime Minister's Question time - 09/10/13

Prime Minister's question time returned after about a months break. Ed Miliband and David Cameron discussed the energy market and various of issues.

Ed Miliband still has the momentum going  into to this weeks PMQ's and he did very well to maintain it at this weeks PMQ's. 

Ed needs to convince the wider public that he is PM material and yesterday strong performance would have helped him a little bit.

David Cameron also needs to convince the wider public that his austerity policies where needed and have been successful. 

In PMQ's David Cameron repeated the Daily Mail's talking points about Ed being a Marxist. 

This clearly the talking point that David Cameron plans to push as part of his reelection strategy. 

To some extent it is similar to the talking point the Republicans tried to make about President Obama and that was unsuccessful.

 So I don't think David Cameron will get much success in trying to claim that Ed is a Marxist. 

Labour Party Conference

Day one of the Labour Party autumn conference and it is clear that the Tories and their right wing media friends are trying to influence the narrative.

They are now taking Ed Miliband serious and by doing so are trying to link him to the negative side of Gordon Brown's time in office. 

They are being aided and abetted by Gordon Brown 's former Special Adviser Damian McBride. Who has recently written a book describing his time as a Special Adviser.

This book has been perfectly timed to be serialised in the Daily Mail and make the Labour Party  look like a party that were not united. 

The media attacks on Ed Miliband has included the left wing paper The Guardian. Who are constantly trying to build a particular negative narrative about Ed Miliband. 

It remains to be seen in two years time whether these attacks will have any impact on voters. 

In the meantime Ed Miliband and the Labour Party need to convince floating voters in those marginal seats that they are a credible alternative.