Is it time for political spin doctors call off the attack hounds?

So what went so wrong for a party which had the support of the majority of the British press and a commanding lead in the polls?

OK, there are many reasons why people voted (for and against) the Tories – but I cannot help but feel their incredibly negative campaigning and “hermetically sealed” approach to the public (meeting people behind closed doors and denying access to certain sections of the media), lost them a lot of ground.

Nobody likes a bully. Nobody likes to be spoken down to. Nobody likes to be told to “trust us” and given no information to base that trust on.

It would be hard to deny that the Conservative’s campaign was incredibly negative. Their activities on Facebook were nothing short of schoolyard bullying – with a particular personal focus on (love her or hate her) Diane Abbott (who inclemently, won her biggest ever majority with an increase of 11,000 votes).

In comparison, Labour’s campaign was chalk and cheese. Whether you agree with their agenda or not, they focused on their manifesto and the support of their grassroots members. It’s been said before on this blog (and again this is no endorsement), Jeremy Corbyn is nothing but authentic and (despite starting on incredibly shaky ground) it seems it enabled him to connect with the electorate.

So will the Tories be calling off the attack hounds in future campaigns and becoming (dare I say it) more human in their approach? Regardless of who is Prime Minister when you read this – I would guess the Conservative’s comms department is currently going through a major reshuffle.