The labour campaign

Abstract

Greg Cook reviews the political environment facing Labour as the campaign approached. The experience of serving in the Coalition had damaged the Liberal Democrats, thereby creating an opportunity for his Party to make some electoral progress and even regain office. Furthermore the rise and potential electoral impact of both UKIP and the SNP are also explored. The Party’s handling of the thorny issue of the economy is discussed, particularly in a context where the Conservatives’ message that the last Labour government had spent too much had become received wisdom among many of those whose votes would decide the outcome of the General Election. The rationale behind Ed Miliband’s subsequent response to this, his ‘One Nation’ philosophy, is explained.