Understanding defeat

With the government spin machine heating up lines about “difficult circumstances,” it’s worth heading over to Progress for a levelheaded Labour response to their defeat in Norwich North.  The author is Paul Richards – Hazel Blears’ former SpAd – and he sets out five lessons for the party, starting with “Let’s stop shooting ourselves in both feet,” and ending on a sublime note with, “We are not characters in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.”  The standout lesson, though, is the third:

One thing that many Labour figures may be pondering is whether it’s worth pleading with Ian Gibson to return as their candidate for the general election.  Not only does a lot of “on the ground” testimony suggest that he’d have picked up more votes, but you wonder whether Labour’s vote was depressed as a direct result of his suspect treatment at the hands of the party hierarchy.  Either way, you suspect Gibson wouldn’t accept any offer now.