Gordon Brown must be bored of being a punchbag by now

By Stephen Gummer

Having campaigned in London and spoken with voters in Wales and in my home town of Gloucester in the past month the most enduring message of all has been, ‘Why doesn’t Gordon Brown do something?’ It’s normally said in a tone of partial despair as lifelong Labour voters made the decision not to turnout and vote for the first time in their lives.

I recall one voter telling me, “I’d never vote Conservative, it just won’t happen. But Gordon has given me no reason to vote Labour. I agree with him on fixing Britain’s finances and I even like the fact that he’s dour, it makes him seem genuine where Cameron seems false but he needs to give us something; a reason to vote Labour.”

I think what this disenchanted voter was trying to communicate was an utter disbelief at the lack of fight coming from No 10. It is hard to deny that throughout the expenses scandal and even the economic crisis Mr Brown has seemed reactive rather than proactive. He has never led the agenda but instead has offered his chin repeatedly to the Conservatives who, whilst they cannot land a knock out blow, do seem quite happy to give it a few whacks.

Surely the Prime Minister has reached the stage now where he is bored of being a punching bag? His service to Britain has been too great over the past decade to merit the daily lashings he receives from the media. He may as well go for it now. The PM said he’d have to be dragged out of Downing Street kicking and screaming, well let’s see him kick then.

If I were in Mr Brown’s position I would hold a Thatcher-like press conference surrounded by my new Cabinet. Not necessarily a cup of tea in hand but maybe shirt and tie outside No 10. This would show the total support he has amongst the majority of the Party. I would announce that this is his team for the next year and that this team will win back the voters’ trust. Further, I would announce that the next election will be held on April 1 2010. He’s going to hold the election in a year anyway so he may as well declare it. This would take away David Cameron’s only line; that he wants an election. I would be honest and open about the fact that mistakes have been made over this past year but I would express my determination to put right the mess that the electorate clearly believe has been made by our party.

Following this statement I would invite as many questions as journalists felt capable of asking. I would answer every single question candidly and openly, with no reference to what the opposition would or would not do; referring repeatedly to the opposition’s failing is not a sufficient act when you have been in government for 12 years. This level of openness that so many of us know Gordon is capable of on a personal basis might indicate to the media that this is a PM not hiding in his bunker but fighting with every part of his being for the right to govern.

Of course one single press conference isn’t alone enough to transform Labour’s fortunes but it would be a good start. It would fill a void, change the subject and silence the critics, while shoring up Mr Brown’s own support in the Labour Party.

Following this bold start any strategy for success must certainly involve an increased radicalism of policy and a move away from what Roy Hattersley rightly described as New Labour’s ‘managerialist’ policies. This might have stopped the middle-classes deserting us in the past but one look this weekend’s election data will tell Mr Brown they have well and truly bolted and it’s now time for him to appeal to the base that has been taken for granted throughout the New Labour era.

Mr Brown needs to stop being battered by political forces much less weighty than himself. He is still, as his media briefings keep telling us, the biggest figure in UK politics. When I voted for Mr Brown for Leader of the Labour Party back in 2007 my cross marked a loyalty to him as leader that I will not forsake. In that sense I am resigned to the fact that Mr Brown’s fate will be Labour’s fate. I am even resigned to the fact that we will most probably lose come 2010. What I am not resigned to is seeing the party I believe in go down with so little of a fight when we so often have the moral high ground. A big clunking fist should know better.