Daniel Finkelstein: Analysis
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Let me tell you how it was for anyone working for the Labour Party yesterday.
A friend of mine was once sent to Northern Ireland to organise an SDP by-election campaign. It was not a resounding success. On election night she rang through to HQ and started reading the results out in great detail. “There’s no need to give me the figures to two decimal points,” said the party’s national secretary. “Yes there is,” said my friend. “If I don’t do that, we didn’t get anything.”
That’s how it was working for the Labour Party yesterday.
On Thursday night, just after the polls had closed, I was called by a Conservative Shadow minister on his way to the broadcasting studios. He told me that Labour was briefing that it was in meltdown. This is a common ploy – you tell journalists things are going badly wrong and then even a poor result can be described as “better than expected”.
This tactic works quite well. I know that because as a former political staffer I used it myself more than once. But it has a little problem. It doesn’t cover you if the result is genuinely catastrophic, worse even than you prepared people for.
And that is what happened to Labour on Thursday night.
There wasn’t a Basildon moment. In 1992, with Labour hoping that they were heading for victory, the picture of a smiling Tory victor in Basildon suddenly signalled that defeat beckoned. This time the results just kept coming in, relentless in their message, unstoppable and unspinnable.
Gordon Brown is hardly the first to experience a bad night of results. Most leaders have had one of those. And there is a standard procedure. You pass round to your people in the studios a list of your triumphs and the failures of the other party. Every time the presenter mentions your terrible results in, say, Wales, you can say “but David Cameron has failed to break through in the North/cities/rural areas (delete as applicable) and only did a little bit better than Iain Duncan Smith in 2002.” After that you hit the political reset button and promise to listen, to learn and to change.
It wasn’t long before the Cabinet was all at it. As the results rolled in, the script was rolled out and in the studios we heard from Ed Miliband and Douglas Alexander and Andy Burnham and Harriet Harman as they read out the listen-and-learn bit.
But as for reading out their own triumphs and the failures of others, this was made difficult by the fact that, er, there weren’t any. That much became clear at about 2am when it emerged that Cameron’s Tories had taken Bury.
The usual postmatch appearance by the party leader is with cheering local party members, fresh from a victory won against the tide. Even when things are pretty bad you can fix one of those. You do it in the afternoon, shirtsleeves, jaw set, contrition, “listen, learn, change”.
Not this time. What we got was Gordon Brown in front of his fireplace expressing disappointment. First thing in the morning, jacket on, clenched teeth. As the day wound on it became clear that disappointment didn’t cut it. But what else could he say?
When the Tories lost elections I remember the TV used to have pictures of party HQ with the flag drooping. It always droops, I used to complain. “The fact that it droops isn’t correlated to the results,” I would say to any passing journalists.
Yesterday I caught a glimpse of the flag at Gordon Brown’s No 10. Definitely drooping. No doubt about it.

Daniel Finkelstein is a weekly columnist and Comment Editor of The Times. His blog, Comment Central, is a personal round up of the best political opinion on the web. Before joining the paper in 2001, he was adviser to both Prime Minister John Major and Conservative leader William Hague
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Also unspinnable: from the moment Her Brownness strode onto the podium to relish his "election" as PM last summer, this expanding man with the short legs and mad grin always reminded one of a fully pumped balloon just as the air escaped. He blustered and flew flatulently and ineffectually around, and fell to the floor in all his Brownest glory.
Bromp, Fulchester,
A woman I know said that she didn't know anyone affected by the 10p band - as if that made it OK. Truth is our ministers don't know anyone on less than 20k. They look down on the low paid. They didn't think they'd notice, and in any case that they wouldn't vote.
How did they get 24pc?
Martin, birmingham,
Labour listen ............................... that would be something new! I've never been so heavily taxed. The Labour government is no different than the Tories under Baroness Thatcher. they wouldn't listen to the people - look what happened to them
Stuart , Poole, Dorset
I can say my hands on heart that Indian migrated to UK in the last 10yrs would never vote for labour again because of the "lumping"immigration strategies.Labour failed to demarcate the economic migration from illegal migration.Labour also crucified many foriegn professionals with defiant attitude.
BR, Cardiff,
What annoys me most about Labour is it's belief it was 'just the 10p tax removal' It wasn't -it's the complacency over loss of personal information, policies which poke into everybody's lives - databases- nhs, police, et al. The suffocating control they impose on us- both speech & action & the EU!
maggie, lincoln, uk
I am a 55 year old woman,who has never voted Tory,I hope my dad`s looking down and having a good laugh ! I think Boris johnson was the best out of the lot,PLUS he seems to have a sense of humour,a rare quality in most politicians ! PLEASE Boris,don`t let us down.Who knows,you could end up P.M.!
Miriam Atkinson, Downham,Bromley, U.K.
I have been contributing on these pages for a long time now wondering if the country had collectively lost it's mind . I am pleased to report , the medicine as prescribed by Mr Cameron appears to have worked and the country is on the road to recovery.
This not as low as Labour will go .
Nick Dixon, Sutton Coldfield, England
"I have always had the impression that Labour hates Britain and almost everything British. "
Garth Strong, San Francisco, USA
No, Garth, Labour hate the working class who built Britain. To Tories they are paternally, necessary, to be helped, mobile upwards. Simple really.
Austin Tassletine, South West, uk
I am now terrified about the next budget. I expect the reaction to the 10p tax bracket and the non-doms mess to be big headline hit the rich (read middle class) to mobilise the masses.
tom, london, UK
One thing that did concern me about the election is how open to fraud it was. I had lost my letter to allow me to vote, so I turned up with my passport, driving license and two letter proving my address. When I got to the poling station they did not ask for any evidence of my identity.
tom, london, UK
How can any one who wants to charge Londers £25 aday for driving in thier own city expect them to vote for him
Its over £9000 a year yet another unfair tax on the average earner.
Dave Johnson, warrington, Uk
The Brown Premiership
Its like a big summer blockbuster you see all the best bits on the trailers and go WOW ooh must see that.
Then low and behold you see it and it stinks nothing can save it should never have been made, for a central belt scot to admit his premier is a banger is so sad.
Richard Dow, Stenhousemuir,
Its a refreshing change, after a decade, to look at an honest set of statistics that have not been got at by a downing street spin doctor or distorted/ignored by the BBC.
philip, Ipswich,
Well done Boris. Fantastic. London breathes a sigh of relief . Such a character and just what we Londoners need.. You make us feel good and uplifted with your sense of fun and honesty. Yes, you have made some gaffs in the past and you are well aware of that but you will be a great Major .
Jane Judd, London, Great Britain
I well remember during the last local elections Gordon Brown cowardly sloping off in his car to avoid being seen or associated with the bad results under Blair. Now he has had to face the music.
simon, UK,
Gordon Brown said his job is to 'listen and lead'. Instead, he should 'listen, change and then lead', if Labour is to have any chance at the general elections.
Harry, London, UKss
It is time the electorate began to realize that the new style Labour party is mearly the Socialists hiding in Conservative style clothing. It is a global problem, not just the U.K. Outdated socialist ideology and idealism have no place in todays society.
john strange, Sunbury 3429, Australia
That's what you get when you see a 'third way'....socialists parading as Tories. There is no honesty or decency in stealing everybody elses thunder. The Laboiur Party needs to find some principles again and people need to SEE them not just be told that they are there.
judy, Liverpool, England
No Basildon moment, but there was Worcester, one of the first results in and not won by the Tories as expected. This set Nick Robinson off on a little lecturette on how Tories needed to take seats like this if they ever hoped to form a government, yada yada yada. This was a line he soon had to drop.
Richard Jenkins, London,
I have always had the impression that Labour hates Britain and almost everything British.
Now, it seems that the British, at last... and in return, hate Labour!
Garth Strong, San Francisco, USA
I was up all night cheering in May 1997 as a student but now I have been turned off Labour for good. I will be voting British in future, not Sudan, not Islamabad, not USA, not Israel, British.
AL, LONDON, UK
I am so happy. Labour need to be kicked out in the main elections. They are bad for the health of the country. They are all about taxation, spin and control. Plus they are inefficient and expensive. As far as Ken is confirmed, I'll be celebrating tonight - he had it coming.
David, London, UK
Brown cheated me out of a third of my pension putting me well into the 10p tax loser bracket and wonders why he is hated. He says we don't understand. I do everytime I look at the price of something and have to use savings for necessities that were intended to pay for a little comfort in old age.
D Cage, Highworth, Wilts
Thank goodness that the sanctimonious squad cannot spin their way out of this. Reality has finally hit them full in the face.
What is interesting is how they will react. Is there anything resembling an honest, intelligent reaction left within their grasp? If not, then they may well sink further.
Marek, London,