The ‘bins and council tax’ message which resonated in the local elections needs to be turned into a ‘public services, security and cost of living’ message nationally.
Unless we find a way to win over those in their forties, thirties and younger, we will have an even bigger problem at the next election.
Day-to-day spending being brought back into balance is good news, and it makes some spending decisions easier, but beware hype about the ‘end of austerity’.
The briefing about turning a Trade Bill vote into one of confidence unnecessarily raises the temperature between Ministers and Conservative MPs.
By accepting that 16 and 17 year olds in Scotland could vote on their future during the Scottish referendum, we undermined the case for not extending the franchise further.
Ministers need get a grip by acting collectively to agree a Brexit end-state based in reality and on what Parliament will approve eventually – and then stick to it.
Is there a national collection of staff ideas? Are Whitehall teams working together? What conversations are being held with housebuilders? There’s so much to be done.
Those who turn a blind eye to MPs being labelled mutineers are playing with a fire which will eventually consume them too.
Those who try to label and bully us will only make us stronger. And their attempts to do so say more about them than us.
This means not bullying people into voting for the Government, and not making grown men and women cry.
Women in particular suffer from being dependent on their husbands or children to translate for them.
There was a genuine sense of grievance that policy suggestions and campaigning ideas are never listened to.
There is a suspicion that the Government wants to talk about other things – and a significant amount of attention is of course already being consumed by Brexit.