Lessons to be learned

Just as high street chains send spies to Paris fashion shows to nick ideas, so British political parties send envoys to American conventions to see what new ideas are coming off the production line. Francis Maude is here for the Tories and Ed Miliband (plus his fellow Harvard alumni David Lammy) for Labour. In my political column for tomorrow’s magazine, I list some lessons they should be taking home – because the convention so far has highlighted vulnerability in both parties. The first two are worrying for Cameron, the last three for Labour. 

1. When charisma goes wrong. The ghost at the feast here in Denver is the lack of any sustained poll lead for Barack Obama. How come he’s got more media acclamation than any candidate since Bobby Kennedy and still can’t get ahead? One of his main problems is behaving like the superstar the media make him out to be – addressing a mile-long crowd in Berlin, and moving into an outdoor stadium for tomorrow’s main conference speech.