Labour may snatch victory from jaws of defeat

NOBODY who witnessed the rock-bottom fortunes of Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Labour after the Cabinet resignations and European and local election results last June would have dared predict a general election victory.

Gerry Hassan makes a relevant point (Opinion, 27 March): the Conservatives seemed to have assured the re-election of the government not just by default; they manifestly failed to seize several opportunities.

The most important one was to let the public know what vision they held out for the future. The broad public still do not know. The second one was to show that they could manage the horrendous national debt more competently and more humanely than Labour ever could. They have failed to do so. David Cameron and his colleagues neither look like a government in waiting nor even an effective opposition.

Labour's majority after the forthcoming poll may well be narrow. But John Major's government held on for five years from 1992 to 1997 despite a small parliamentary lead, the currency debacle of autumn 1992, bitter internal divisions, and regular allegations of sleaze. It was able to do so partly because Labour was still sorting itself out as to what it stood for and what image it wanted to project. Cameron is young enough to be allowed a second chance to lead the Tories at another poll. By that time Labour and Brown might be completely exhausted. However, the public will still want to know what modern Conservatism means before giving Cameron a clear mandate.

BOB TAYLOR

Shiel Court

Glenrothes, Fife

Gerry Hassan is right to suggest that Labour may yet succeed in winning the general election, but at what price? In 1992, John Major's tired Conservative government looked as if it too were going to lose, but surprised and depressed many of us by securing an 11-seat majority.

The result was five years of chaos, sleaze and growing unpopularity with a government which clearly had not expected to be in power. In 1997 public rage grew to a crescendo and voters took their revenge, inflicting a defeat on the Tories which was so emphatic their party has yet to fully recover from it. Could history be about to repeat itself?

My advice to Labour is be careful what you stand, for you might just win it … and regret it afterwards.

GAVIN FLEMING

Webster's Land

Grassmarket, Edinburgh