Credits and Losses

At Prime Minister's Questions, Jeremy Corbyn was absolutely right to concentrate on the impending tax credits cuts, the coming work penalty.

When that kicks in, then the 2020 Election will be over. Labour will have won.

The 1997 Election was over before the end of 1992. Labour had already won, regardless of the Leader, and regardless of anything that the Government might do in the meantime. The nation's mind had been made up.

Likewise, the 2020 Election will be over before the end of 2015. Labour will already have won, regardless of the Leader, and regardless of anything that the Government might do in the meantime. The nation's mind will have been made up.

But from 1994 onwards, we had to make do with Tony Blair.

He was a reasonably good first term Prime Minister. Having been elected on a much more left-wing manifesto than people like to remember, he went on to implement quite a bit of it, such as the minimum wage and these very tac credits, even if he did never abolish the NHS internal market (as promised on the pledge card) or renationalise the railways.

After he had won a second term against no Opposition of any kind, however, he turned into the Tony Blair that we all now know. It was very sad. There was no Opposition in 2005, either, but any such would easily have beaten him by then.

Now, though, we are not merely making do.