For the Kremlinologists among us, Rachel Sylvester’s column on the ideological divisions between the old Brownites and the new recruits in today’s Telegraph is essential reading:
“The ‘old Brownites’ – including Ed Balls, Damian McBride and Ian Austin – are Labour tribalists who think the way to victory is through class war. Personally, they are laddish, football-loving street fighters. Politically, they are ruthless in the way they operate, demanding absolute loyalty (to Mr Brown, rather than to Labour) in return for favours.
Having honed their skills creating dividing lines with Tony Blair, now they want to fight a highly personal campaign against David Cameron, portraying him as an Old Etonian toff. In policy terms, they want to emphasise equality of outcome as well as of opportunity.
Mr Carter is the leader of the ‘New Brownites’ who argue that there is no point in creating a dividing line if the voters are on the other side of it.
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