Will it be enough to just let Labour lose

Charles Clarke, pugnacious MP for Norwich South and former Home Secretary, has upped the ante on the Labour leadership, with a little over six months at the most before the country goes to the polls.

In a despatch which has found its way into the hands of Tory uber-blogger Iain Dale, he explores some fairly predictable themes, like Labour can't win with Brown at the helm, class war won't deliver the goods etc.

He also makes this telling point: "... the Conservatives have failed to establish themselves strongly. Their threat comes only from Labour’s weakness. Their only strength is the petty point-scoring of partisan oppositionist politics, based on vigorous and misleading attacks and clever phrase-making.

"They are deeply divided on policy issues of the greatest significance; their demeanour is increasingly introverted, provincial and backward-looking, notably so in the international arena; they offer no policy or political vision for themselves and they inspire no confidence in their own team of political leaders."

Despite its love of new Labour-esque spin, central office has offered little in the way of firm policies or a vision for how many aspects of life post the 2010 election might look.

Will it be enough to sit back and let Labour lose the election - or do the Tories need to work harder at winning it..?