It’s unusual for a dull, internal party report to become a cause celebre, but these are unusual times. For the last week comrades who follow Progress and Labour First folk may have found them talking an awful lot about the Beckett Report. There’s even a petition about it. Commissioned to find out to explain why Labour lost the general election, it’s become something of a totem because, against the spirit of “straight talking, honest politics“, there is the suggestion Jeremy’s office has sat on it since November. The supposition is it will confirm the view that elections are won from the centre, not the left.

Anyway, save it being leaked to me, it’s all set to be published today and the BBC have had a preview. There are no rabbits out of the hat. Margaret has concluded that the party didn’t defend its record in government, and gave the Tories a free pass to pin the global economic crash on us. We didn’t connect on what the electorate – rightly or wrongly – regard as hot button issues, particularly immigration and social security. Nor, quelle surprise, was the Milibae viewed as up to the job. And to top it off the Tory scaremongering around a Labour/SNP coalition proper buggered us up. This is the thanks Labour got for saving the union. Continue reading →