It is never simply the messaging. Sure, political communications is a vital tool in any government's arsenal. There is little point doing good things if a grateful public does not know about it. But more often than not, it is first and foremost about the policy and the principal. And this, more than anything else, is where the new Labour government is struggling most.
Take today's investment summit. After overcoming a minor public relations crisis, in which the transport secretary appeared to go to war with ports operator DP World, the event is looking like a success. Captains of industry dutifully showed up, and several announced major investments, from airports to pharmaceuticals. Even DP world confirmed its £1bn expansion of London Gateway port.
Then there was the big political message. Before sitting down to chat with Eric Schmidt, the former Google chief executive, Keir Starmer, vowed to rip up investment-harming red tape and make regulation "fit for the modern age". The prime minister said he would “do everything in my power to galvanise growth” including axing regulations holding back new homes, data centres, warehouses, grid connectors, roads, train lines and other projects.
This is punchy stuff, even if every leader since Margaret Thatcher has promised to cut red tape and burn quangos down to the ground. Greater investment is vital to solving Britain's productivity puzzle, and Labour deserves credit for identifying a problem and trying to do something about it, even if many of these investments would have happened regardless. The wrinkle is that, thus far, the government does not yet appear to be acting in unison.
Analysis by the pro-economic growth group, Britain Remade, finds that 40 per cent of major infrastructure projects have been delayed since Labour came to power in July. This includes the Lower Thames Crossing, the £9bn road linking Kent and Essex, where a decision has been pushed back to May next year.
These delays are not necessarily without justification. This is a still a new government that has inherited a host of projects from its predecessor that secretaries of state want to examine. Moreover, there is a fiscal event later this month, with decisions on whether and how to borrow more yet to be finalised. But this is also indicative of a wider problem.
Is the point of this Labour government to plough more money intro crumbling public services, most notably (and electorally potently) the NHS? Is it to borrow to invest in key infrastructure projects? To fundamentally rewire the UK economy (see today's new industrial strategy announcement). All while filling a significant fiscal blackhole? And boosting public sector pay to boot. Perhaps it is to do all these things at once?
For the government's sake, we must hope the Budget begins to address these questions. Until it does, issues around messaging will remain a side issue.
