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["Keaney Michael" <Michael.Keaney@xxxxxx>]

Labour advises German SPD on election

By Rosemary Bennett and Thomas Hanke
Financial Times, February 20, 2002

A delegation of Labour government ministers and political strategists
travelled to Berlin yesterday to advise Gerhard Schröder's Social
Democrats on how to revive their flagging election fortunes.

Fresh from a second landslide victory last June, the Labour delegation
told SPD officials they had to stress longer term structural reforms
that Chancellor Schröder has put in place and not get bogged down in
disappointing short-term economic data.

They also told SPD officials to construct a convincing case on why a
target to reduce unemployment has been missed.

The decision to associate themselves closely with the SPD in what is
turning out to be a tight race is in sharp contrast to Labour's own
low-profile contacts with the Democrats during the 2000 US presidential
race. Labour played down relations with Al Gore and his campaign team,
fearful it would make life difficult for Tony Blair, prime minister, if
George W. Bush won.

That distance appeared to help Mr Blair forge a close relationship with
President Bush shortly after he came to power.

However, Labour officials are convinced that the SPD will pull off an
election victory in the autumn. "We think there will be better economic
news for the German government over the summer which will bolster the
campaign," said one adviser. "We also think that the opposition, which
has stunned the SPD with its show of unity, may not be able to sustain
the united front until the autumn."

Charles Clarke, Labour party chairman, headed Labour's team, which
included Peter Hain, Europe minister, and Roger Liddle, Mr Blair's
policy adviser on Europe.

On the German side, Dr Norbert Wieczorek, chairman of the SPD's
Commission for European Affairs, headed the team along with Joachim
Poss, deputy chairman of the SPD parliamentary party.

The meeting between Labour and the SPD is part of Mr Blair's "step up"
campaign which attempts to build stronger links between the party and
sister organisations across Europe.

A similar exercise will be conducted with the French Socialist party
later in the year where the election will again feature prominently.

Labour officials conceded there were differences between the 2001
election campaign and the problems facing Mr Schröder.

Labour attributes its success at the polls to a record of good economic
management that allowed ministers to promise big spending increases on
health and education. Mr Schröder, on the other hand, is struggling to
bolster his government's reputation for financial rectitude.

Michael Keaney
Mercuria Business School
Martinlaaksontie 36
01620 Vantaa
Finland

michael.keaney@xxxxxx