The Blame Game

"The fact that so many on the left feel morally compromised by voting for Tony Blair suggests NOT that there is something wrong with their morality BUT that there is something wrong with Labour.

"Indeed, New Labour was founded on the principle that, unlike old Labour, it had to reconnect with voters' concerns in order to win. Somewhere along the way that lesson was lost. Now the government claims any losses will not be its fault for pursuing a course that voters will reject: it will be the voters' fault for refusing to accept the course New Labour has imposed.

"Each individual is responsible for the choice they make on polling day; the parties are responsible for crafting an agenda and developing a record that people will want to choose. The surest sign that a political party is in trouble is when it blames the electorate for not supporting it."

Gary Younge: www.guardian.co.uk