Labour News

My first election campaign mailings from Labour arrived this weekend - not one but two items: a copy of 'Labour News' and a little leaflet addressed to me about the candidate, Karen Jennings.

Labour News declares proudly that it's "delivered free... at no cost to you". I should jolly well think so too, but I suppose in the wake of the expenses scandal they feel they have to make these things crystal clear at the outset. The cover is emblazoned with the obligatory photo of Karen with a baby in a hospital (the cynic in me imagines an orderly queue of parliamentary candidates just out of shot, waiting their turn to be photographed).

Anyway, the 'news' that Labour has to report is as follows:

"In the coming weeks, you will make a big choice about the kind of future you want for Britain. Lots of people are rightly worried about a Conservative Government and the Liberal Democrats refuse to rule out a deal with the Tories. Labour is the only clear choice."

From the outset, it's weasel words. Who is worried about a Conservative Government? Why? If you have something to say, say it, don't hide behind "lots of people".

The number one reason for voting Labour, it seems, is that they're not the Tories. If that sounds familiar it's because the Tories' number one reason for voting for them (as far as I can gather from what they've sent me so far) is that they're not Labour.

Labour also argues that a Lib Dem vote in Hornsey and Wood Green "is a vote for Cameron", which is confusing because Lynne Featherstone was saying just the other day that a vote for the Tories was a vote for Labour. I'm going to have to draw myself a flow chart.

To be fair to Labour News, however, it does go on to talk about Labour's own policies and plans. There's a barrage of stats about the wonderful things they've done for schools, pensioners and the NHS, before it veers back into doom-mongering about the spending cuts planned by the other parties. No talk of the cuts Labour are planning.

Overleaf it talks more about supporting diversity, what Karen's been doing to try to save the Whittington Hospital's maternity service, and 'Sure Start', which she's very proud of, although she doesn't say in much detail what it is.

Next, something interesting happens. First it takes a few pops at the Lib Dems for a bunch of stuff they've done in Camden (where they're the largest party on the council, followed by the Tories). Then, without breaking stride, it manages to have a go at them for negative campaigning against Labour-controlled Haringey Council. "Ask yourself whether the constant deriding of our community provides the leadership you want," Labour News urges me. I'm starting to feel dizzy.

Verdict

I'd be exaggerating if I said there were a lot of substance in this, but there is at least some attempt to set out something positive about the candidate and the party. On the other hand, Labour has managed to slag off another party for slagging them off, while, in an adjacent box, doing precisely the same thing. It's best summed up, I think, by the tagline which appears repeatedly: "Labour is the only clear choice", which, like the 1997 Tory slogan, "You can only be sure with the Conservatives", smacks of desperation.