Today's newspapers provide an interesting studies of two ways to take on Labour.

In the blue corner - back from its short-lived incarnation as the blue-green corner - stands David Cameron, and, not for the first time in recent weeks, the commentators are unimpressed. In the Telegraph, former Tory MP George Walden suggests that today's Conservatives regard opposition as "a bit of a wheeze", which is much more fun than all the dreary work that would follow an election victory ('The Conservatives don't want power, it seems'). Ironically, Walden is guest-writing for the Telegraph because "Boris Johnson is away". It's hard to imagine the MP for Henley penning a piece like this.

Walden's argument that Cameron lacks the seriousness to govern is backed up by another Tory, Michael Brown, in his Independent column ('I am a Tory, but I must admit I find myself seduced by the cut of Gordon Brown's jib'). At times Brown is almost fulsome in his praise for his namesake:

Middle aged, dark suited, (occasionally crumpled) crisp white shirt, always wearing a tie - Brown appears every inch a politician from the Tory era of the 1950s. By cancelling his holiday and striding around deepest "true blue" Tory Surrey with farmers on Monday, he subconsciously reached the very parts of the Tory Party Mr Cameron seems determined to reject or insult...

And then come the critique of the Tory leader:

So first, Mr Cameron, ditch the Lycra shorts and the cycling nonsense. Put the tie and jacket back on. Since image is supposed to be your thing it shouldn't be too difficult to start at least looking like a Prime Minister.

Ouch!

In the tartan corner, Alex Salmond shows another way of taking on the Labour government. Mr Salmond has advantages over Mr Cameron, of course, not least the pulpit of the first ministership, from which he can harangue Labour one minute for selling out Scotland and assume his most statesmanlike pose the next. Yesterday, Mr Salmond's target was the broadcast media, which he accused of neglecting Scottish society and demanded more powers (from Westminster) to regulate in Scotland's interest; Alan Cochrane of the Telegraph gives an entertaining account of what he seems to have regarded as a consummate performance ('Men With No Ties are putty in Salmond's hands'). What surely impresses most is the way that Salmond combines ease of manner with seriousness of purpose in a way that either Mr Brown or Mr Cameron would give anything for.

Also in today's news

The Times reports that tackling a "culture of low aspiration" among black boys and teenagers could boost the British economy by £24 billion over the next forty years ('Helping black youths to achieve may bring £24bn boost').