The NHS is to the Tories what immigration is to Labour – a policy area they can’t win. Better to move on

The NHS is to the Tories what immigration is to Labour – a policy area they can’t win. Better to move on

The best strategy is to steer the debate on to areas of strength

A week, as Harold Wilson used to say, is a long in politics and just seven days ago the Tories felt they were on to a winner with the concerted attacks on a Labour’s custodianship of the NHS when they were in power.

Whether it was the right thing for the Tories to do is one thing but there’s little doubt that seeing the main opposition party on the defensive on a policy area that they’ve always made their own sent CON MPs off in good heart as they left for their summer recess.

    But was this politically the right thing to do and should this aggressive approach be repeated when hostilities resume in September?

    In essence is the Lynton Crosby strategy right?

The polling at the weekend on the aftermath of the Keogh report found barely one in five blaming Labour for what had gone on which must have been a disappointment to the blues but not really surprising given how well as Labour continues to be regarded.

To my mind the NHS is to the Tories like immigration is to Labour – a policy area where whatever they do or say they can’t win. Better to move the debate onto areas of strength which I believe is what they’ll now do.

Mike Smithson

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