As the fallout from last week's elections continues to be assessed, attention turning to the role of policy in the results.

First off is Anthony Browne, director of Policy Exchange, who writes in today's Telegraph - 'Time to examine Conservative policies'. He sees policy as being crucial to David Cameron's continued pitch forward momentum:

"Cameron and his team need to "seal the deal" with the voters, not just relying on discontent with the Government, but setting out positive reasons to vote for them. That means concentrating on core themes - mending Britain's broken society, delivering real public-service reform, less Government interference in people's lives and more social responsibility."

Rather bleakly, Peter Riddell feels that policy will have little to do with recovery Labour's potential recovery ('Gordon Brown is a leader left with very few options'):

"I doubt whether the publication of the draft legislative programme for 2008-09 – with its proposals on housing, health, education and constitutional renewal – will reverse Labour’s unpopularity."

Labour's recovery, Riddell beleives, hinges entirely on the economy.

Polly Toynbee in The Guardian has an interesting variation on this theme ('Labour has nothing to say and no territory of its own').  She thinks Labour are boxed in on policy and will have difficulty attacking the Conservatives:

"[Labour] can hardly castigate Tory "reforms" out-sourcing more of education and the NHS. Labour did that too. Or rebut Tory promises to be even tougher on crime, sentencing and filling up more prisons, because Labour did that too. Favouring business and the hyper-rich? Labour did it too. Ungenerous to the poor? Labour will trip over its 10p tax debacle... That is where triangulation has led: Labour has nothing to say and no territory to call its own."

She is putting her hope in the ideas being espoused in a speech by James Purnell today.  CentreForum will be going along to hear what is being said - so more about this in the future.

CentreForum's recent publication on Liberal Democrat-Conservative relationships continues to get press coverage - this time in an article by John Rentoul on Tory preparations for a potential hung parliament...

Read the article here, and find the publication here.

CentreForum today published 'Lib Con: can the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats co-operate'.

One of the authors, Mark Bell, has also written a summary for the Guardian's Comment is Free website ('Power of the Lib Dems'). You can read the whole report on the CentreForum website.

Peter Riddell also refers to the report in his article exploring the recent surge of interest around changing the voting system ('Preferential votes give Tories cause to consider poll reform')

Lib Con follows a previous CentreForum publication 'Lib Lab' published last autumn which is also available from the CentreForum site.

Its always interesting to compare the opinions of different commentators from different papers on the same story.

Today we get to compare and contrast responses to the Government's current difficulties.  The writers are Bruce Anderson - a Tory writing in The Independent, Jackie Ashley an old lefty in The Guardian and Time Hames, who is quite keen on the Lib Dems.

Bruce Anderson is also clear that the Government is in trouble and things are likely to get worse before they get better.  He wonders why the Tories are therefore not doing much better.

The voters do not know enough about [Cameron's] beliefs and his philosophy of government. It will not be enough for Mr Cameron to assert that his administration will be much more competent than Gordon Brown's. Unless he gives disillusioned voters grounds to believe in him, they might just wish a plague on both your parties.

Cameron must do more to get his message across, even as the Government flounders - Bruce Anderson - The Independent

The depth of Labour's current problems is put most eloquently by Jackie Ashley:

Once utterly loyal Brownite backbenchers, senior ones, tell me they don't expect him to fight the next election. Blairites who kept their mouths zipped through the first months are plotting again to replace him. I have almost lost count of the number of non-political friends who say: "Sorry, I just don't like him."

Summon the courage to be the man you promised us - Jackie Ashley - The Guardian

Her prescription is for Gordo to go back to his magisterial demeanour that he successfully deployed over the summer - ie presenting himself as above politics.

A market exists for an antipolitics politician if someone is slick enough to claim it. There is a chance, therefore, that if Mr Clegg were to wager everything, as he should, on relentless, even reckless, candour – introducing a frankness into public life on every topic, including his party's failings – he could secure an audience. Honesty in politics is the principle that should be his watchword. It also chimes with his personality and his policy instincts.

And on lead guitar and vocals, welcome Nicky Clegg - Tim Hames - The Times

The contrast between the suggestions proffered are interesting.  Labour and the Conservatives are both urged to play the politics game more seriously - the Lib Dems urged to play it more recklessly. An interesting proposition for both Lib Dem candidates to bear in mind over the next few weeks as they both plot out their first 100 days in office.