Gordon Brown has, apparently, learned no lessons from the downward trend of Labour over recent years or, more specifically, the slump in his own government's fortunes over the past six months.
Alternatively, if he has learned lessons, they are the wrong lessons that will simply smooth the way for David Cameron to enter 10 Downing Street.
Simply declaiming a goal of "One Britain of security and opportunity for all the British people" is meaningless if even the dogs in the street can see that this does not mesh with reality.
There is no single united Britain of security and opportunity.
Britain is increasingly divided, economically and socially, and government policies have played their part in exacerbating division.
Working people's pay is held down, as is the state pension, while the smart clubs of London's City and West End are still replete with punters hooked on conspicuous consumption, spending more on a single round - in some cases, a single cocktail - than many low-paid workers earn in a year.
When factories close, workers go down the road with statutory redundancy pay, while, on the other hand, incompetent and self-seeking directors can walk away from financial disasters of their own making with seven-figure settlements.
Working people were used to being treated like this under the Tories. They expected something better with Labour - to no avail.
When Mr Brown talks of maintaining stability and low inflation and building on "our economic success," most workers don't know what he's talking about.
"Low inflation" is the government code used to justify cuts in purchasing power and the fruits of economic success are concentrated on a small section of society, which wastes no time in exporting its profits overseas in search of even bigger profits.
The Prime Minister is not short of advice from close allies of Tony Blair, whose message is summed up by former minister Steven Byers.
According to Mr Byers, it won't be enough to motivate Labour's core electoral support.
"We also have to appeal to the promiscuous voter by demonstrating that we can be the party of aspiration and ambition as well as social justice and fairness," he suggests.
What desert island have these people been living on?
Aspiring to be the "party of aspiration and ambition" is Blairite shorthand for looking after the better off and continuing to abandon Labour's grass roots.
That approach has led to the party's loss of up to 5 million votes since 1997.
Instead of sucking up to Mr Byers's promiscuous voters, Labour would be better advised seeking to reconnect with its base, which has been scorned, treated as voting fodder and been told that it has nowhere else to go.
That means listening to trade unionists instead of to greedy, self-satisfied and undertaxed businessmen.
The Tories have launched yet another campaign against the trade unions' political levy, but this means of political funding is transparent and democratic, not like the reliance on donations and loans from rich people, which has generated one scandal after another.
Unless Labour takes a decisive change of direction, it will not only continue to let down Britain's working people but will throw away its grip on government.
Gordon Brown has, apparently, learned no lessons from the downward trend of Labour over recent years or, more specifically, the slump in his own government's fortunes over the past six months.
Alternatively, if he has learned lessons, they are the wrong lessons that will simply smooth the way for David Cameron to enter 10 Downing Street.
Simply declaiming a goal of "One Britain of security and opportunity for all the British people" is meaningless if even the dogs in the street can see that this does not mesh with reality.
There is no single united Britain of security and opportunity.
Britain is increasingly divided, economically and socially, and government policies have played their part in exacerbating division.
Working people's pay is held down, as is the state pension, while the smart clubs of London's City and West End are still replete with punters hooked on conspicuous consumption, spending more on a single round - in some cases, a single cocktail - than many low-paid workers earn in a year.
When factories close, workers go down the road with statutory redundancy pay, while, on the other hand, incompetent and self-seeking directors can walk away from financial disasters of their own making with seven-figure settlements.
Working people were used to being treated like this under the Tories. They expected something better with Labour - to no avail.
When Mr Brown talks of maintaining stability and low inflation and building on "our economic success," most workers don't know what he's talking about.
"Low inflation" is the government code used to justify cuts in purchasing power and the fruits of economic success are concentrated on a small section of society, which wastes no time in exporting its profits overseas in search of even bigger profits.
The Prime Minister is not short of advice from close allies of Tony Blair, whose message is summed up by former minister Steven Byers.
According to Mr Byers, it won't be enough to motivate Labour's core electoral support.
"We also have to appeal to the promiscuous voter by demonstrating that we can be the party of aspiration and ambition as well as social justice and fairness," he suggests.
What desert island have these people been living on?
Aspiring to be the "party of aspiration and ambition" is Blairite shorthand for looking after the better off and continuing to abandon Labour's grass roots.
That approach has led to the party's loss of up to 5 million votes since 1997.
Instead of sucking up to Mr Byers's promiscuous voters, Labour would be better advised seeking to reconnect with its base, which has been scorned, treated as voting fodder and been told that it has nowhere else to go.
That means listening to trade unionists instead of to greedy, self-satisfied and undertaxed businessmen.
The Tories have launched yet another campaign against the trade unions' political levy, but this means of political funding is transparent and democratic, not like the reliance on donations and loans from rich people, which has generated one scandal after another.
Unless Labour takes a decisive change of direction, it will not only continue to let down Britain's working people but will throw away its grip on government.