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Say Gordon is exciting, Labour MPs told
By Melissa Kite, Sunday Telegraph
Last Updated: 11:49pm BST 30/06/2007

Labour may well be brimming with admiration for Gordon Brown but the new Prime Minister is leaving nothing to chance. Mr Brown has instructed his MPs to tell voters how "inspiring" and "exciting" they find him and what a "pleasure" it is to work with him.

A slick campaign pack sent out last week instructs Labour MPs and candidates to mail thousands of voters to boast how happy they are with the change of prime minister.

Entitled "Introducing Gordon Brown as Prime Minister to your constituents", the book contains 25 pages of instructions on how MPs are to talk about Mr Brown. It says that a general election strategy called "Keep it Labour" is already in full swing and, in a call to arms, states: "The next general election starts NOW."

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Eight key areas are set out as the battleground: education, the NHS, affordable housing, childcare, stronger communities, climate change, work-life balance, and terrorism and security.

The plan reveals Labour anxiety that, in its "battleground seats" in the South-East, David Cameron is a real threat. It includes instructions on how to carry out a recruitment drive and direct-mail campaign to reach disaffected voters and prevent them from switching to the Tories.

It tells MPs: "Now is an important time to make contact with Labour and target voter groups and tell them about the changes in leadership. Every constituency will have different target groups, i.e. former Labour, Tory switcher, firm Labour etc."

Just to make sure everyone is completely on-message, the pack includes a template letter for MPs to tell voters: "I wanted to get in touch with you to tell you a little more about Gordon Brown, our new Prime Minister, and what this change of leadership will mean for our community here in (insert constituency)."

Although it is unlikely that all Labour MPs are on friendly terms with Mr Brown, the letter goes on: "I've known Gordon well for many years and it has been a pleasure working with him down at Westminster.

"He asked me to get in touch with you to see what you think needs to be done. I hope you will take a few minutes to get in touch so that I can tell our Prime Minister what your priorities are for (insert area)."

While Mr Brown has made much of a claimed move away from spin and control, MPs are nevertheless instructed to say: "Last weekend I watched Gordon Brown become the new Labour leader and on Wednesday I watched him enter Downing Street.

"It has been a really exciting and inspiring week. There is no doubt that Gordon has been a brilliant Chancellor, delivering economic stability, more jobs, a fairer deal for pensioners plus extra money for our local schools and hospitals."

The document's analysis of Labour's parliamentary majority states it is largely comprised of "once-safe Tory seats". "Over many years Labour's traditional electoral base has been shrinking, with people moving from cities into suburbs and smaller towns ... At the next election, with further boundary changes continuing this trend, if we won every seat in Scotland, Wales, London and the six metropolitan counties we'd still need another 33 from the rest of England to gain a parliamentary majority of one.

"Cameron holds a particular appeal for voters in Labour's marginal seats in the South." North Kent and Greater London are singled out as particularly vulnerable. "We have to start campaigning now," the document stresses.

The plans are so advanced they include a week-by-week guide, starting with the "July campaign activity grid", the first in a series to be sent out from Labour headquarters.

The plan's precision will be keenly noted by the Conservatives, who are trying to bring a similar degree of discipline to campaigning. Tory candidates in key marginals have to provide weekly progress reports and are being worked harder than ever, say insiders.

allanon

Actually, I hope it works.

Ian C

Didn't we used to call this 'Spin'

Hartlepool

Yeh,and before that spin was generally known as lies.

Britannist

The Labour MP for Burton, Mrs. Janet Dean, is so happy with the change of Prime Minister that - at the age of just 60 - she announced last week that she is standing down at the next General Election :shock: .

g hall

BritannistAt least she'll have a bloody good pension paid by us the taxpayer

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