Labour set up rapid rebuttal unit for election campaign

Labour plan to step up their media monitoring process in the run up to the 2015 general election, according to The Independent. A team will be in charge of rebutting negative media to avoid a re-run of the 1992 election, where an onslaught of attacks from the press played their part in a unexpected Conservative victory.

Michael Dugher, the MP in charge of Labour’s communications, is this week in the US discussing strategy with new appointment David Axelrod and other political consultants, including Jim Margolis, another adviser from the Obama 2012 campaign.

Dugher told The Independent:

“We won’t put up with what Kinnock did in 1992. When people tell lies about Labour, we’re going to nail that lie, and quickly.”

He added:

“This will be the most technologically advanced campaign ever. It will be faster, more direct and discursive and will be the first to be fought online as much as it will on the doorstep and over the airwaves.”

While the Indy sensationalises this as proof Labour are preparing for a “dirty war”, these media units are in fact a staple of modern election campaigns, and what this really shows is that the Party are gearing up for 2015, and are determined to avoid any mistakes of the past. What we can expect is for any personal attacks on Miliband (in the vein of The Sun’s notorious Kinnock front page in ’92) to be quickly responded to, and a zero tolerance policy of anything that might be deemed complacent – don’t imagine the leadership will be as quiet this summer as last.