News from Labour Matters

‘Crunch month’ for Labour to rise from the blues

The Prime Minister will this week lead the Government’s response to the credit crunch and high oil and food prices, marking the start of a month-long battle to lift Labour’s support with voters.

Talk of a ‘relaunch’ isn’t welcomed in Whitehall, but Ministers know that their performance in September will determine whether Labour can reconnect with middle and lower income families, and begin to lift the Party from its bottom-feeding poll ratings.

The critical task will be a team effort, with Gordon Brown leading the fight. Tomorrow he is expected to unveil new measures to help people facing fuel poverty and provide assistance to the housing market, which last month registered a 71% year-on-year drop in new home loans being approved.

On Thursday the PM is also due to address the CBI, providing an opportunity to outline how the Government will mitigate the impact of the downturn for middle and lower income families. This month too around twenty-two million people will also receive £60 tax rebates, after the first tranche of previously announced tax cuts take effect.

The cabinet is set to meet on 8 September, possibly in the West Midlands, with Ministers also taking part in other events in the region.

All of which, it is hoped, will set the backdrop for the five-day Labour Party Annual Conference at the Manchester Central starting on Saturday 20 September. It is this conference which will need to set a new ‘narrative’ for the Labour Party and the Government, following summer talk of “a radical new phase” for the Party adding to perceptions of division.

September is the ‘crunch month’ which Labour leaders hope will set a new tone for the Government and the Party. All eyes will be on the opinion polls in a months’ time to see whether Labour can manage to start to claw its way back from a consistent 20-point deficit and raise itself from the blues.

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