IT’S extraordinary that when Labour wins 300 council seats, taking control of a number of councils, the media manages to conjure this up into some sort of defeat.

The focus has been on another character assassination of Ed Miliband as leader and the ongoing promotion of Ukip as a political force.

There is a good academic study to be done on just how much the early media exposure of Ukip did to bring the party to the prominent position it now holds.

In a celebrity-driven world Nigel Farage represents good value for the media.

His constant attacks on the political class, of which he has of course been a practising member for the past decade, have been parroted without question by newspapers and broadcasters.

No-one ever seems to question his props of the pub, pint and St George’s flag.

Some of the disillusionment with the political class has grown out of the expenses scandal.

Yet Ukip has been one of the worst offenders on expenses when it comes to the European Parliament.

Ukip seeks separation from the European Union, but in the meantime it milks it very nicely, thank you.

Farage’s party is anti-migrant, ignoring the importance of migration in a country with an ageing population.

Migrant labour is particularly important to the NHS, which Ukip would like to see further privatised.

It is a party born out of dissent but built on contradiction.

The attacks on Miliband of the past week or so are a sign of things to come.

The media does not like him and the attacks on him have been ferocious.

The Tory attacks can be expected, but what is less acceptable is the assault from within the party itself.

Many of these come from the Blairite rump of the party which operates a bit like a strange religious sect.

The weekend’s open letter from offenders such as Frank Field, urging him to get “tough” on immigration, are an example.

Any straying from its own tried and failed form of neoliberalism has to be derided — better in the view of this group to have the Tories in power than a Labour Party that has moved from the discredited creed of new Labourism.

What is for sure, any sign of divisions in the party will not play well with a public that is clearly tired of the petty squabbling of the Westminster goldfish bowl.

The next 12 months will certainly be crucial for Labour, representing the last throw at getting power based on a broad church principle.
If Labour loses, due in any part to enemies within, the trade unions could quite rightly refuse to bankroll it any further into the future.
The Labour Party has always been a difficult alliance of interests.

But betrayal now at a time when, whatever media commentators say, there is a very real chance of getting power will not be easily forgiven.

For more of Paul Donovan’s writing visit www.paulfdonovan.blogspot.com.