I don’t know what, if any sense, everyone is getting of it down in Australia, but British Prime Minister Gordon Brown (aka “great clunking fist”) is enduring a pretty torrid spell in political terms at the moment. In several months the man has not been able to take a trick, with the government shuddering to embarrassing scandal to embarrassing scandal. Tory leader David Cameron is doing a pretty good job of delivering ruthless soundbites to the media, and there is a certain sense out there that Brown might not be able to dig his way out of the hole he and Labour find themselves in post-Blair. After the former Prime Minister’s somewhat acrimonious departure, people need to find a reason to elect a Brown Labour Government. For the time being, at least, they’re still looking.
Well for once, UK Labour is following the lead of its Australian counterpart rather than vice-versa, and engaging YouTube in a concerted manner, with Labour:vision (warning: Gordon Brown video plays on page load). In general I am fairly sceptical that YouTube can play a really significant role in improving the current relationship between Labour and the electorate. On the other hand, there is little point denying that such a venture does actually stand a chance of getting through to people who otherwise would not have thought twice about the Labour Party or what it stands for. However, its scope is limited. As part of a comprehensive and coherent online strategy to engage people and interest people in public life and policy, something like Labour:vision can play a role. However, I think Brown Labour still has some way to go towards cultivating that sort of robust approach to the online world. The danger is that this latest move may be dismissed as desperate gimmickry by some.
Probably the best thing Labour could do right now is to deliver some positive policy proposals for debate, and seize the news agenda back from the Tories. At the moment, the government is in the strange position of being left in the lurch as its world disintegrates (due to circumstances variously within and beyond their control), whilst David Cameron jabs them rather assiduously with a red hot poker. It’s not a very pretty sight.
