Tories must attack the Prime Minister - not each other, says Nick Ferrari
If we learnt anything from the Labour conference in Liverpool it was that this is a party chronically unprepared for being in power. At times they resembled children in their first year at “big school”, wandering around with a mix of awe and anxiety. It was as if they needed to be told when it was break time and where the toilets were.
It was also a remarkably policy-free zone. The Home Secretary talked tough about crime and stopping the illegal crossings, the Health Secretary said we need to reform the NHS and the Chancellor ditched her funereal tone of late and talked about growing the economy.
But we’ve heard this all before, year after year, from chancellors of all political stripes.
Although Rachel Reeves did smile. Wow, did she smile – and sometimes at the strangest points of her speech. A sinister prospect. Does she know something we don’t and can’t help chuckling to herself?
As for the Prime Minister, a speech that had some high points (and one spectacular low involving “sausages”) was effectively drowned out by the din of the never ending slew of headlines that engulf him and the party in sleaze.
It is mystifying how they have managed to become a government that wants to rob pensioners while grabbing every freebie going in less than 80 days.
And this followed month after month of attacking the Conservatives over similar dodgy decision making.
And so to the Tories who gather today in Birmingham for their first conference in opposition in 14 years, an event that promises all the fun of a Samaritans’ training course. But, neatly emphasising the extraordinary rollercoaster ride that is politics today, this could be a golden opportunity to exploit.
A poll published in accordance with their conference showed that 17 per cent of voters already regret voting for Labour a little under three months ago.
Not only is this a startling drop in confidence in a new government unmatched in modern times, the popularity rating for leader Sir Keir Starmer is also in free fall.
All of which should be exploited to the max by the Tories next week. But sadly they are once again engaged in one of their favourite pastimes, ripping themselves to shreds as they struggle to find a leader, let alone a cogent path, to follow.
Bruising electoral defeats always leave deep scars for political parties.
And you can be sure they will be picked at over and overagain this week.
Get ready for the next few days to be filled with displays of vaunting ambition from the candidates vying to be the next leader of the party, rather than taking the battle to a government showing all the poise of baby Bambi taking to the ice.
Earlier this month, the Prime Minister spoke of a “deep rot in the heart of society,” but just three weeks later he praised the “ingenuity” of our workers and agreed “we do need joy”.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves faces widespread and open criticism for her doom and gloom stance since Labour’s election victory and the Treasury refuses to release the numbers she uses to justify her continual preaching of the “£22billion black hole.”
Opportunity knocks in Birmingham, with targets aplenty for the Tories.
Unfortunately, they currently look more like the gang that can’t shoot straight.
