A week ago things were getting quite feverish as the papers - and Number 10 - spun talk of a snap election. A new poll for the Guardian, giving the Tories a 15 per cent lead, is likely to end all the speculation. Other polls suggest things aren't quite so bad but don't expect an election any time soon.
People are worried about their jobs, their homes and their prospects for the future. Promises of tax cuts fior the rich if and when Labour wins an election in 2010 - and a small cut in VAT - are both too little in terms of policy shift and maybe too late in their ability to shift public opinion significantly.
Tonight as I made my way back over the Pennines from seeing my dad in Manchester, the shops were awash with cut-price offers in a manner only usually seen a few days before Christmas. People are clearly too scared to spend what money they have. With good reason.
In the past couple of years on various platforms I have often heard Tony Benn say that for the first time in his life the general public are to the left of a Labour Government. I think that's right. I think they want to see fairness, they want to see working people being treated decently. And they will not be content with sops or gimmicks any more. Labour has to re-gain the people's trust.
Some on the soft left have had a go at me this week for not being ecstatic about Darling's pronouncements. Judging by the new opinion polls, I'm far from alone. It's time for a proper, socialist alternative. and fundamental changes to address basic inequalities in our society.
As LEAP's Andrew Fisher rather more succinctly puts things on their excellent blog.
Our job is to keep the pressure up on the Government to ensure they do not row back from these moderately redistributive steps, and that the Crown Dependency Review results in a clampdown on tax havens. Then there are the welfare cuts to campaign against, council housing (still off the agenda) to campaign for , and bank nationalisation too . . .
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