The trouble with the modern election is that we are all being bombarded on the social media with so much information, disinformation, scams, red herrings, dead herrings and total unbelievable bollocks that even an old cynic like me sometimes feels that my head is going to explode. However sometimes a party does something so profoundly stupid, so sphincter clenchingly disastrous, that anyone vaguely informed about modern politics takes a deep breath. I had that moment about ten minutes ago and have been hyperventilating ever since. First I checked the date. Nope, April Fools days was a week ago. So it must be true.
Tony Blair is being wheeled out to support Ed Miliband.
This is not an act of desperation, it is a catastrophic admission of sheer panic. It spits in the eye of Miliband’s core support. The unions will go into meltdown. And the lefties will consider a vote for the wit and wisdom of Natalie Bennett. Ed’s lot vilify the very name of Blair and all his works. They have done their very best to airbrush him out of Labour history. He is the Great Satan, the anti Christ. The sort of bogeyman the Woodcraft Folk warn their children will come and take them away if they are naughty. Even Lucy Powell who is laughingly in charge of Labour’s campaign strategy said that he was poison on the doorstep.
And it is a gift from the Tories. For the next few days we will be bombarded by quotes from every member of the Shadow Cabinet who condemned him as a warmonger and Tory stooge. Then will be treated to all the swipes that Blair has made about Ed. Blair has become the story. What makes it worse is that he is to argue the importance of remaining in Europe. I agree with him. So does David Cameron, so does Nick Clegg. But the argument is about giving the electorate the right to choose for themselves and not patronise them. Worse, Labour is as split on the EU as the Tories. Every old wound will now be opened, no scab will be left unpicked and that rasping noise in the background is that of stilettos being sharpened. The civil war will now be fought in the open. In the middle of an election campaign. Insanity.
But they are going to have to carefully manage Blair. He can’t be allowed to give interviews quite simply because he knows that Milband’s policies will trash the country. So the next story will be why is Blair not allowed to be interviewed. Imagine a cross examination by Andrew Neill? Milband would be destroyed.
I maybe totally wrong but I suspect that this marks the turning point in the campaign. Poor Ed thinks he has cried havoc and unleashed the dogs of war when all he has done is caused havoc. This is a terrible strategic error which could be mortal. When Ed was one of Brown’s henchmen Blair always used to refer to him as the emissary from planet fuck. It is not exactly the sort of planet that he will wish to defuck.
