Major-"we were nothing like Brown."

John Major,spotted in the members at Lords, today has written a piece in the Telegraph in which he refutes the suggestions that his government in 1997 bears any comparison to the current position for Gordon Brown.

The Conservatives were in their 18th year of government: Labour is in its 12th. The Conservatives had no majority, and were at the mercy of a handful of rebels: Labour still enjoys a large majority. Conservative divisions were over policy – notably Europe – in which the dissenters believed they must prevail for the national interest: Labour has no such excuse. And – crucially – the Tory economy was well on track to full vigour: Labour's is in the mire.

Furthermore he says Labour Labour have retreated to tactics he believes they will live to regret and adds that

Since the Prime Minister can no longer defend Labour policies, he attacks a fictional Tory past at almost every Prime Minister's Questions

Ht-Tim Montgomerie