In politics, momentum is crucial. If a government, or a party, is not pushing forward, it will find itself pushed back. If it is not setting the terms of the argument, its opponents will do so, to its disadvantage. In one respect, Tony Blair understood this. He knew about the power of the narrative and set out to achieve an almost hegemonic command over political debate. He would have been an outstanding press secretary, for a Prime Minister who knew what he wanted to do. In domestic politics, however, Mr Blair never knew what he wanted to do, so his gifts went to waste.
Of necessity, David Cameron spent a lot of time studying the Blair government: wondering how he could ever weaken its grip on office. While watching and waiting, he learned an important lesson: how not to squander
power. He would often say that it had taken Tony Blair nine-and-a-half years to learn how to be PM. He was not going to repeat that mistake.Read Full Article »
