Playing with toy soldiers

Danny Finkelstein has responded to my post suggesting that he is fighting the last war by saying, rather ingenuously, that this is generally a smart strategy.

Now, at the risk of stretching this metaphor to breaking point, I’d counter that the last wars the Conservative party has fought have been all about minimising its loses or reclaiming ground lost to the enemy. The coming campaign offers it a very different opportunity, a chance not only to reverse the result of previous conflict but to advance into new territory.

It is the opportunities on offer that mean that a new campaign strategy is required. The Tories would probably win if they fought the last war but they would not advance as far as they could and nor would their hold be as total on the territory they had taken. Now, I’m off to play with my toy soldiers.