Could things get better for Gordon? My top 3 suggestions for the autumn fight back

The successes of Team GB at the Beijing Olympics have ensured that Gordon's summer has been a good deal better than it might have been. If he can keep his nerve and if he is prepared to grasp a few nettles then the golden rays of summer may just shine through to the autumn and beyond.

Here are 3 popular and populist things that Gordon should, in my humble estimation, seriously consider implementing as part of an autumn fight back:

1. He should go back to the future and rediscover the radicalism that as Chancellor saw him slap a £5bn windfall tax on privatised utilities in 1997 to fund job schemes. Yes Gordon you really should introduce a windfall tax on the energy companies. Such a levy would demonstrate whose side we are on and draw some important red lines between ourselves and the Tories.

2. Announce a Royal Commission into the effects of academic selection on standards and social exclusion (similar to the one held in Northern Ireland - which recommending the ending of selection at age 11). This would force the Tories to defend existing selection and challenge Cameron's claim that the Tories are the true party of progress.

3. Follow the Welsh and put an end to hospital car park charges - believe me when I tell you that this would be very well received in many parts of the nation and would give a concrete example of how fairness needs to be at the centre of public policy.

So what do you think? Too simplistic? Too radical or not radical enough?

Comments

[Simon]

A windfall tax looks - on the surface - an attractive political option. However it is important to look beyond the money and the effect of cutting investment in renewables and other greener power options.

We need to encourage the power companies to invest in the technology that will provide us with power in a post-oil world. This investment will be hurt by any windfall tax.

I am not ordinarily a fan of the hypothecation of taxation but in the case of a windfall tax, this becomes more of an issue.

Creating a windfall tax to invest in renewable energy sources could be a positive step. Creating one to fund a whole raft of hastily conceived new policies designed to improve poll ratings is not. As with the 10p tax fiasco, the 2p on fuel and the VED issues, people will not be taken in.

The proposed commission is a meaningless gesture - sorry, but it is not something that will produce results within the timeframe needed for any 'fightback'.

Free hospital parking - tinkering round the edges again. It is not going to win any votes. I would rather see better provision of funds for necessary medication. I find the budget surplus in the NHS to be objectionable. We all know of people who are having to fight for treatment - and yet there is nearly £2 billion sitting there unspent. That is not acceptable.

[Gary Hills]

While I agree mostly with the three points raised to allow Labour to show some clear divide from the Conservatives. The issue Brown faces is still not initiatives but one of his own ability to project a vision people want to believe in or trust.

If this was the 1970's or 80's then Brown would have been perfect for the job. However its not and that time gap is the problem. Brown is acting as if all he has to do is stay quiet and the issues will resolve themselves.

It amazes me that he can think like that, I would have thought he would have learned much from Tony Blair about communicating with the electorate but apparently not.

Each time Tony faced a major problem he did not hide away but go on national TV to say his view and explain why he felt that way.

Now people either agreed with him or not, however they respected him for it and in doing so they all could see the direction the Government was taking.

Brown sadly dose not, his few TV sections seem lacking in timing and often not on the main issues people in the country are concerned about.

Now its not all Brown fault, after all there are many advisers and paid press relations experts at number 10, however they to seem unable to grasp the key message Brown should or wants to say.

The real trouble is Brown can not regain the popularity he seeks, as the public see him a indecisive person who is not projecting a vision.

David Cameron is not ahead in the polls because of policy or his own ability. The man is the weakest Conservative Leader they ever had, up till August 2007 the Tory's were all ready to ditch him.

The public even now have not completely lost faith in Labour, however they will soon if we do not start offering solutions. We all know its not the governments fault over Food and Oil, yet we're giving them nothing to look beyond the difficulties they face.

Brown won't win support just saying these are tough times.

The Conservatives come out with ludicrous claims of caring for society, they pretend to care about the NHS and want to end poverty.

Yet their is not one credible policy among any announcement. However we hear hardly a murmur from Brown to disagree. That's hardly leading for the party.

We have a chance to win in 2010 but only if we re invent what makes us New Labour and what we intend to do next year, the year after and so on.

I just can't seen Brown delivering that vision and the public do not think he is credible. Could that change, well that's a massive if' and past history does not support it.

In order to renew the party it's time to renew the leader. We can win if we want to. To do nothing however that would be a true disaster.

I do hope Miliband puts himself forward as that will spark the debate and the leadership contest we should have had in 2006.

I know I'm willing to support Miliband because I don't want us to lose everything good we have ever done for the sake of Brown's ego.

The public have forgotten what it's like to live under the Tories. They may feel times are hard now, but its nothing to what faces them under Cameron. He has not changed their party one bit apart from gloss.

[David]

I think that dealing with the housing crisis by enabling local authorities to purchase extra housing for the public sector housing waiting lists and to take part shares of owner occupiers to prevent unecessary reposessions.

[Chris Bain]

The points raised are fine as far as they go, but will not address the fundamental political challenges the Party faces.

We are no longer trusted on the economy and Gordon Brown is not trusted on leadership. We are also increasingly seen as divided and running out of steam.

It is not that there is a great groundswell for Cameron and the Tories, 49% of people polled do not know what Cameron stands for, there is an anti-Labour sentiment that Cameron is benefitting from despite his weaknesses and inadequacies.

If there is to be a fightback then we need to be politically braver and clearer. Labour hungrily took the plaudits when things were going well, so let's face up to it when things go badly.Tackle the economic challenges head on and not try to downplay the seriousness of the situation. People are not stupid, they know how tough things are.

Put in place the fiscal and monetary framework needed to place the uk in the best position to benefit when things do turn - the US economy has performed much better than forecast so the recovery may even be in sight now.

Take measures to offset the most brutal impact of price rises on staples such as housing, food and fuel - don't assume the market will deal with it.

Set out a clear program for progress and change, taking on the day-to-day issues that really concern people. Show that we have the energy, vision and drive to take Britain into the future.

Can we do all of this without a change of leadership?

That is the question that the Party and it's leaders need to face up to sooner rather than later

[concerned of carshalton]

surely we can do two things immediately, apart from the blindingly obvious windfall tax on the greedy
1)get councils building council housing-rescuing jobs and giving homes to the needy
2)an immediate moratorium on re-possesions, this to protect the assets of the most vulnerable

[Willoughby Hart]

Re car parking in hospitals. I have a long exprience of this problem as my late wife spent a lot of time in hospital .What I found, though the facillity was not perhaps well known that at the particular Hospital i visited near relatives visiting long stay patients could get a Permit from the ward Sister permitting indefinate visits after one payment .This may be not ideal b ut How do you prevent non hospital visitors from filling what are verey limited car parks.