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Damian McBride says he doesn’t think his revelations will have any electoral impact. I think that he’s right

Damian McBride says he doesn’t think his revelations will have any electoral impact. I think that he’s right

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But it could have done just if published in April 2015 The biggest political impact of the McBride book and now TV interviews is that they will reduce media coverage of the current Labour conference. Some of the messages that EdM and his team were hoping to get across will be over-shadowed. That might depress the short-term polling impact that Labour could have expected from its conference but really that will be as far as it goes. One of the…

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Labour’s union plans are about culture as much as cash

Labour’s union plans are about culture as much as cash

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Henry G Manson’s Friday column Lord Collins’ interim proposals for Labour’s relationship with its affiliated unions were published yesterday. They don’t settle the issue of union funding and affiliation to Labour. In fact it provides more questions than answers. But while much of the attention has previously been on the pounds, shilling and pence that would be lost, it’s clear that these plans are about so much more than that. Together the proposals demand an organisational and cultural shift from…

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Can Ed win support for state funding of political parties?

Can Ed win support for state funding of political parties?

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Friday's Independent – "Labour says taxpayers may have to pay more for political parties" #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/Y76Gg8yWhB — Nick Sutton (@suttonnick) September 5, 2013 There has been some alarm this week at the GMB’s early decision to reduce the money they give to Labour by £1M next year in response to Ed Miliband’s proposed changes. Ian Lavery MP is Chair of Labour’s parliamentary group of trade union MPs and has warned “I know other unions will be considering this move, and losing…

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Will the other affiliated unions follow the GMB’s lead?

Will the other affiliated unions follow the GMB’s lead?

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And can Ed stop them? MIRROR: Ed's £9m in the red #tomorrowspaperstoday #bbcpapers pic.twitter.com/YwkjyXqqxK — Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) September 4, 2013 In the past week, whilst it has felt that there’s nothing happening in British politics other than Syria, yesterday saw a story that may have a crucial impact on the 2015 general election. The news was The 65-strong GMB executive announced on Wednesday that it would cut the number of its members affiliated to Labour from 420,000 to 50,000…

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Labour can’t afford a Shadow Cabinet anchored to the past

Labour can’t afford a Shadow Cabinet anchored to the past

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  The debate on Syria has highlighted one of the advantages of Ed Miliband’s leadership. As someone who was not even an MP or in the country when the decision to invade Iraq was taken, the Labour leader is able to make policy decisions today free from some of the political shackles of the past. This is far easier for him than his former leadership rivals (with the exception of Diane Abbott).  It’s far harder to hit a moving target…

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Is Harriet Harman Labour’s Michael Howard option?

Is Harriet Harman Labour’s Michael Howard option?

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  Would stability be the prime concern if Miliband went? Ed Miliband has now been leader of the Labour Party for longer than Gordon Brown was.  For the majority of that time, Labour has been comfortably ahead in the opinion polls and has made steady progress in local council seats and Westminster by-elections.  Even so, doubts continue to be expressed about his leadership.  Labour has not shown much ability to set a policy or media narrative since he became leader and…

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Henry G Manson says Ed needs to add grit and a touch of glamour in his reshuffle

Henry G Manson says Ed needs to add grit and a touch of glamour in his reshuffle

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Ten to follow for possible promotion Ed Miliband’s September reshuffle will be a significant affair and his last chance to form his team in the run up to the election. There is creeping frustration in the leaders’ office with the lack of new ideas among some shadow ministers and there’s a strong sense that an injection of new blood is needed. Here are my top ten to follow in the run up to the reshuflled – I expect them to…

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The Tory Keogh report offensive appears to have had no impact on the “best party on NHS” ratings

The Tory Keogh report offensive appears to have had no impact on the “best party on NHS” ratings

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LAB YouGov lead as best party on NHS remains at 12% pic.twitter.com/wzwuLsixfe — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) July 30, 2013 One of the big apparent “wins” for the Tories before they broke up for the summer recess was their response on the Keogh report on hospital failings which had happened on Labour’s watch. This it was hoped would help the party eat into the traditional LAB lead that they have on the NHS. The CON attack was high octane and certainly…

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