Labour believes that Gove has become the Tories’ weakest link
Observer front page lead http://t.co/EQ72wB7tlf
— PolPics (@PolPics) January 5, 2014
Get ready for more attacks on him like the latest by Tristram Hunt
Both Labour and Lib Dem strategists have told me in recent months that they now regard the education secretary, Michael Gove, as the Conservative party’s biggest electoral liability.
The newly published YouGov polling showing Labour with a 41% lead amongst this voter group underlines the view that there’s a big benefit to be had in attacking Gove hard and personally whenever the opportunity arises.
They believe they that Gove’s overly-confrontational approach with teachers is simply driving more of what is the largest professional group in the country away from the Tories.
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It’s reckoned that more than a quarter of that key swing group, LD>CON switchers, work in education and teaching and it is vital for the red team for them to be kept on board on May 7th 2015
So that’s the context for today’s fierce attack on Gove’s comments on the causes of the First World War by his Labour shadow, Tristram Hunt.
Seeking to spin an interpretation of history for political ends takes Gove into a difficult area.
My reading is that Gove’s big mistake is in confusing the teaching unions with the profession as a whole which continue to be very well regarded by the public. See this from Ipsos-MORI last year.
Last year teachers were 2nd only to doctors in the Ipsos-MORI Trust Table with 86% saying they tell truth
See pic.twitter.com/EI2SQN3QDu
— Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) January 3, 2014