Return to the basics and listen

No shortage of advice amongst the commentators this morning for Labour and a return to basics is advised from a number of quarters.

John Kampfner in the Telegraph this morning is full of advice for the Labour party saying that they shouldtake a leaf out of Charles Clarke's mantra

Whereas Gordon Brown' media tour

stuck to certain mantras: he is getting on with the job, he will lead the country out of the dark economic times, he does not indulge in rumour and gossip.

,the party should move away fromwhat he describes as a "narrowness of vision" and start to focus on issues

such as equality, liberty and quality of life

and start

by abandoning legislation to extend pre-trial custody to 42 days, a Bill that serves no political or criminal justice purpose, and marks a further descent from a just society. He should, as Clarke urges him, abandon "dog whistle"
politics.

Cross to the Guardian and Polly Toynbee says that Gordon Brown must spread the pain fairly - not carry on squeezing the low-paid

What should the good government do when facing hard times? Make sure the pain falls as fairly as possible on everyone. It is plain wrong economics to claim that holding down public-sector pay is what has kept inflation down. An Incomes Data Services (IDS) report finds no such connection. Inflation now is caused by energy and food prices. Holding public-sector pay to 2.5% for what will be five years will have little effect - except to squeeze the low-paid, while private-sector pay rises twice as fast.