In only a couple of weeks the Westminster political landscape has been turned upside down.


The Conservatives had experienced a dreadful summer. They were a long way behind in the polls. There were questions about David Cameron's leadership and the grammar schools debacle had seen differences re-emerge within his front-bench team and Parliamentary party.

PROSPECT
Many Conservatives had been approaching their conference and a possible election with trepidation. They faced the prospect of a rampaging Gordon Brown who had been dominant in the few months since taking over from Tony Blair. Brown had constructed the image of a politician with conviction, assisted by overturning decisions on casinos and liberalised drinking hours. He had sought to put distance between himself and Blair, and advocated substance over spin.


He was seen as steady if unspectacular; hardworking and dependable. He rejected celebrity and announced he would be holidaying within the UK rather than availing of the overseas villas of the rich and famous. Indeed within hours of having arrived in Dorset, Brown returned to London to demonstrate he was taking charge of dealing with the foot and mouth outbreak.


Today he and his advisors must wonder how they managed to get it so horrendously wrong. Their double digit lead in the polls has been transformed into a seven point advantage for the Conservatives.

DAMAGE Worst of all their damage has been almost entirely self-inflicted. It was one thing to keep the Tories guessing about the election date but it was surely obvious to Brown that if he persisted and persisted, and then ultimately called a halt, this could only be portrayed as a climbdown.


How his eventual decision was handled has only compounded the problems. The excuses were pathetic. No one believed that the opinion polls were not a factor. Only giving one interview that weekend, which furthermore was a recording, indicated he was hiding, and was guaranteed to infuriate the other media outlets.



Now the Tories are seen to be setting the agenda and questions abound over Brown's integrity, judgement and courage. Far from the assured visionary, he has allowed himself to appear cynical, calculating and opportunistic.