To be quite frank, that's a load of aul' shite. This 'fact' has been uncovered by 'Gordon Brown's pollster' who conducted focus groups to determine where it all went wrong. The words 'Gordon Brown's pollster' (or anyone's pollster) should have set alarm bells ringing after the poll debacle on election night... but that's a different story.
If you're unfortunate enough to be a person who relies on public services, the NHS, the education system, the Human Rights Act, the benefits system, social housing, then believe me you're not ' a little bit relieved' at facing a tory majority for the next five years.
If you're a public sector worker, facing more cuts to jobs, income and resources, you're not 'a little bit relieved'
If you're chronically ill or disabled and faced with the WCA or PIP assessment, you're not 'a little bit relieved'
If you're a young person leaving school or hoping to go into higher education or if you're graduated and hoping to go on to post graduate education, you're not 'a little bit relieved'.
If you're homeless or poorly housed or living in a high rent area you're not 'a little bit relieved'
if you're working all the hours god sends to hang onto a zero hours contract, or if you're on call, waiting for a few hours work, you're not 'a little bit relieved'
If your job is being undermined by people on the work programme who are paid nothing, or if you're on the work programme, you're not 'a little bit relieved'
If you aspire to have a safe, secure affordable home, a decent job with an income that will provide for a life of security and dignity, you will not be 'a little bit relieved'.
There are millions of people who are not 'a little bit relieved' - we are desperate and we feel as if there is no-one who will either stand up for us or protect our interests.
Ordinary working class people feel that the party has abandoned them. The people who have most badly been affected by the government's policies looked to Labour and saw nothing or little that appeals to them.
It's not hard to find these people - even if you can't get out to meet them all, they are on social media, they are in unions, they are on marches, they are in workplaces, schools, community centres. Everywhere.
Go and find them. Hear their stories.
Labour does not need focus groups, surveys or anything like that. They need to be in our workplaces, at our doors, in our labour party meetings, at our campaigns. They need to be standing alongside people, shoulder to shoulder. That's where Labour will hear the things that people are worried about and what people aspire to.
There are legions of people who are generally sympathetic to Labour who believe that the party is too far removed from its membership. People who are or who have been Labour Party activists have become disillusioned by the lack of influence that they have, for example in the selection of candidates.If the Labour party is connected with people, it shouldn't need pollsters, they can listen to the members, including the 40 odd thousand who joined under Ed's watch.
David Prescott, the candidate for Gainsborough, published a letter from Keziah which explained why she didn't vote Labour. She describes herself as from a background that would 'traditionally vote Labour'. Although she says that the party has become too right wing, the main thrust of her letter says that the lack of challenge to tories lies and smears was the thing that really undermined the Labour case.
It's almost as if Labour don't see the value of what they did in the Blair years and has taken personal responsibility for a global financial crash. Why would Labour do that? It does not make any sense. I am not a Blair supporter and I see so much that was wrong throughout the Blair years. But Labour also did good things and should be proud of the things that they did right. They certainly should not be taking responsibility for a global crash. Maybe they did make some mistakes in the 'good' years but that's not the same as being responsible for all that went wrong. Stand up and be proud of the good things. Explain the crash. Attack the lies.
So, instead of rushing to focus groups and pollsters, go directly to the Keziahs and others who couldn't bring themselves to put their x in the Labour box. We'll tell you in a heartbeat where things went wrong
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