Labour, time to wake up: It wasn't the media which cost you the election

By David Higgerson on Sep 16, 10 09:19 AM

Proof, if it were needed, that some in Labour still haven't got why they lost the general election.

Step forward Bob Ainsworth, who brought a similar amount of gravitas to the role of defence secretary as the Chuckle Brothers would to being named monarchs of this nation.

Unpopular with the armed forces, and so politically out of touch that even one of his friends back in Coventry felt the need to go to the Press to hit out at the way Ainsworth had dealt with the death of this friend's son in Afghanistan.

On Twitter this week, Ainsworth wrote:

Tory minister says' our troops don't need more helicopters' and the mighty press are silent

That was in reference to an earlier Tweet he posted:

Peter Luff minister just said don't need more helicopters in Afghan havnt since 06 what did they say when in opposition!

I think what the Ainsworth was trying to say was that the Tories have changed their tune. Maybe it's too much to expect a politician to make sense in 140 characters, but there you go.

However, it's Ainsworth's reference to the 'mighty press' which tells us so much about Labour - with so many still blaming the media, not the failings of a party which had lost its way, for being booted out of power.

Yes, Labour had a torrid time during the election campaign, and for the 18 months earlier, but even Labour sympathisers in the media found it hard to ignore the open goals which were served up on a plate by some of Gordon Brown's cabinet.

Ainsworth was one of the biggest offenders. Not sending condolence letters to family friends who lose relatives in warzones is one example, complaining the media that picked on him because journalists didn't like his moustache was another one. And that's not to mention the howls of protests from the front line in Afghanistan every time Ainsworth tried to suggest the army had all the equipment it needs.

In truth, Ainsworth - and any Labour politician who had a say on defence - have no grounds to go after the coalition government for not supporting our troops properly.

Ainsworth wisely has said he doesn't wish to seek opposition cabinet roles when the new leader of Labour is announced. That can only be a good thing. To me, his rise to such an important role as defence secretary demonstrated just how short of talented options Gordon Brown was when shuffling his political playmates around.

The media didn't cost Labour the election. Labour cost Labour the election. Until the likes of Ainsworth (and he's not alone - Tom Watson and John Prescott have exhibited similar symptoms) get their heads around that, it'll be very hard for Labour to start moving forward and effectively opposing a ConDem coalition which is hell bent on cutting until it can't cut no more.

In the meantime, if we do have a Conservative defence minister expressing an open opinion about levels of resource in Afghanistan, surely that's much better than the Labour policy of saying 'we give the army everything they want' while having fingers crossed?