The Truth Hurts
The Labour party needs to reinvent itself - according to Peter Mandelson - if it is to mount a serious challenge to David Cameron at the next general election.
I agree with Peter Mandelson on that point.
Because Labour's former Prince of Darkness is a realist about politics - and realised in the 1980s how much Labour needed to change - before the party could become electable again.
So New Labour was born - the brainchild of Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and Peter Mandelson - Labour's answer to The Three Musketeers.
And to be fair it worked - delivering three straight general election victories in a row.
For a long time New Labour was an unstoppable force - sweeping all opposition out of the way - and made mincemeat of four Conservative leaders - John Major, William Hague, Iain Duncan Smith and Michael Howard.
Before the Tories finally found themselves a winner - in David Cameron.
Lord Mandelson has warned the party that it needs to 'modernise at all levels' and that its reliance on union money should not persist.
Hear hear - union money is tribal and tainted - and comes with strings attached.
According to the Times Mandelson went on to add that the public would never be won over by a party led by: "ex-political assistants, reasearchers and trade union apparatchiks recruited from inside the Westminster bubble."
Ouch - the truth really does hurt.
But Mandelson had more to say and called on Labour leader - Ed Miliband - to be 'more innovative and courageous' before adding:
"To some in the country we appear almost too tactical. We appear too afraid that something we might say might suddenly trigger some disagreement in our party and the better thing to do is to mute what we are saying."
Now that strikes a real chord with me - the truth is that Labour have been pulling their punches - trying to gain political advantage by careful positioning.
Instead of standing up and saying what they believe in - and trying to lead from the front.
I agree with Peter Mandelson on that point.
Because Labour's former Prince of Darkness is a realist about politics - and realised in the 1980s how much Labour needed to change - before the party could become electable again.
So New Labour was born - the brainchild of Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and Peter Mandelson - Labour's answer to The Three Musketeers.
And to be fair it worked - delivering three straight general election victories in a row.
For a long time New Labour was an unstoppable force - sweeping all opposition out of the way - and made mincemeat of four Conservative leaders - John Major, William Hague, Iain Duncan Smith and Michael Howard.
Before the Tories finally found themselves a winner - in David Cameron.
Lord Mandelson has warned the party that it needs to 'modernise at all levels' and that its reliance on union money should not persist.
Hear hear - union money is tribal and tainted - and comes with strings attached.
According to the Times Mandelson went on to add that the public would never be won over by a party led by: "ex-political assistants, reasearchers and trade union apparatchiks recruited from inside the Westminster bubble."
Ouch - the truth really does hurt.
But Mandelson had more to say and called on Labour leader - Ed Miliband - to be 'more innovative and courageous' before adding:
"To some in the country we appear almost too tactical. We appear too afraid that something we might say might suddenly trigger some disagreement in our party and the better thing to do is to mute what we are saying."
Now that strikes a real chord with me - the truth is that Labour have been pulling their punches - trying to gain political advantage by careful positioning.
Instead of standing up and saying what they believe in - and trying to lead from the front.
