“Haunted by three successive general election defeats and the large lead that a celebratory Labour lost to Conservatives in 1992, this Tory generation is taking nothing for granted.”
-Wall street Journal
So in 1992 how did Labour lose its large lead to a supposedly dying Conservative party?
It would seem a surprise that such an unexpected result would occur.
Perhaps there were enough voters who were frightened the Neil Kinnock was too left wing. Tony Blair won next time round (in 1997) by positioning himself and the Labour Party more in the centre of the political spectrum.
Kinnock was done in by a number of things - the Sheffield Rally was supposed to be a huge celebration of the party and a shot in the arm for the party faithful. Instead, it looked too triumphalist, turned off swing voters, and caused an immediate swing to the Tories in the polls.
There’s also the “War of Jennifer’s Ear” - allegations that Labour misrepresented details of an NHS case for dramatic effect in a party broadcast caused days of debate and distracted from the effectiveness of that broadcast. Also, most of the tabloids were anti-Labour in 1992, in particular The Sun.
One of the problems Kinnocks government suffered from apart from all the others, was that his wife Glenys,who was a loathsome hypocrite of the extreme left of the worst kind.
She seemed to feel that the rules of actually being voted into office by the electorate didn’t apply to her.
She felt that the ends justified the means,the ends being the promotion of old school,hard line,cold War Socialism.
The means being having a weak,suggestible husband who was easily manipulated into making HER views official government policy.
Many life long Labour Party supporters,including I wouldn’t be stunned with amazement to find party activists,deeply resented this self appointed upstart and the combination of leftwing policies and her arrogant flaunting of her control of Neil were just two more nails in the coffin for the governments reelection chances.
With more then a little cronyism to help her, she managed to get her snout back into the political trough as an M.E.P.
God help Gordon Brown trying to make her Minister for Europe while she is still an M.E.P.
He seems to be committing political suicide big style,like someone taking an overdose,slashing his wrists and then hanging himself.
I think Neil Kinnock’s “We’re all-RIGHT! We’re all-RIGHT!” at the Sheffield rally really was a significant factor. It rekindled doubts the voters had about Kinnock personally. For American readers, think Howard Dean’s scream
