The Coalition is in a strong position. Many, including me, have been impressed by the functioning of the coalition so far in bringing a culture of practical politics.

The Conservatives are learning to let go of their past. The final blasts will be detonated in the form of Lord Ashcroft’s book, heralding a brief and uninspiring post mortem as to the failures of the Conservatives’ 2010 general election campaign. Ashcroft’s departure as Chairman draws closure, as well as the rumbling war of attrition that has been the media campaign against tax avoidance and tax evasion.

Likewise, it is now vital for the Labour Party to move on. We have had a plethora of books explaining in detail, largely repetitively, explaining the dysfunctional nature of the Blair and Brown government, including forgettable books by Peter Watts, Peter Mandelson, and Andrew Rawnsley. Tony Blair’s was interesting despite being popular, and I learnt a lot from Chris Mullins’ second volume of diaries and Steve Richards’ book.

However, Labour has become partisan and factional. The Coalition is working well, and we had some superb candidates. The most likely winner is David Miliband or Ed Miliband, but we have some other key players who I feel will be outstanding in senior offices of state such as Home or the Exchequer, for example. Whatever happens on 25th, our infighting must stop, and we must be totally focussed in our role as a strong opposition party. The country richly deserves it, and our opponents do as well.