Labour party

Paul Waugh highlights a passage from Harriet Harman's speech today: "Contrasting Labour's record on equalities and feminism with that of the Tories, she said that David Cameron would extend foxhunting rights to everyone, while George Osborne would replace a SureStart in every community with 'a lapdancing club in every community'." Now, Paul reports that Harman's people are saying the "lapdancing" bit is merely a "jokey reference to lapdancing club tickets distributed during last year's Tory conference in Birmingham".  But it seems to me that this is a particularly contrived and even nasty attempt to sully an opponent's name.  I expect the Tories can expect more of this dubious treatment as Brown's government fight for their political survival.

Comment Central’s Alice Fishburn has collated Brown’s buzzwords. It’s revealing that derivatives of ‘choice’ and ‘change’ were used 38 times, whereas the words ‘honest’ and ‘responsibility’ were uttered twice and four times respectively. Given that the public have turned against the government’s running of the economy, Brown was unwise to concentrate on Tory-bashing rather than attempt to emphasise his honesty and sense of responsibility, but perhaps he’s given up on that front. Initially, his Goethe-inspired avowal to dream big and change the world again had me grasping for the gin; but this speech was for the hall first and the voters second, which isn't enough to avoid defeat.

Tom Watson has told the Times that Tony Blair should hit the campaign trail "if he fancies it". There have been rumours that both Blairs will campaign at the next election, but this is the first time, to my knowledge, that a Brownite has publicly implored the former PM to return to the fold, and perhaps it's a measure of the Brown camp's increasing desperation that they are prepared to bury the hatchet. I've no doubt that Blair will answer the call, he would have done so had no call come. His input will be valued by a party that grew accustomed to victory under his leadership, even if he only inspires false self-confidence. But, after 12 years of government and the catastrophic Brown premiership, I doubt whether even Blair can avert the inevitable.

The Conservative party’s seizure of the progressive agenda and the rhetoric of liberal democracy suggests that Cameron intends to build a broad coalition. But how large would the Tories’ tent be? Peter Mandelson reveals that he would have no trouble “serving his country” under a Conservative government. ‘In an interview with The Sunday Times magazine, the business secretary said he would be willing to put his “experience at the disposal of the country”, if Labour lost power. “As I grow older, I can imagine more ways of serving my country than simply being a party politician,” he said.