In present day Malta, the political party that attracts the votes of the majority of the salaried middle class (and their children) will govern. To govern, Labour needs to discover how to attract the votes of this most important group - it contains most of the floating vote. This group of people is still uncertain whether Labour has changed enough from the traumatic 1970s and 1980s. Promising some changes in education, even if well-intentioned, therefore went down like a lead balloon with them. Hinting at some re-negotiation with Brussels was another major gaffe.

Labour strategists, whoever these are going to be, do not have an easy task ahead. The conservative Nationalist Party has actually taken away from Labour all its socialist policies and made them its own. Free hospital services and free tertiary education with stipends (also for the rich) were introduced by Labour and are now Nationalist policy (even if against Central Bank Governor's advice).

Expanding the welfare state is a good vote-catcher. Another good vote-catcher is less taxation and more money at one's disposal. These two don't usually go together, so our economy suffered a three per cent VAT increase to expand, rather than rein in, the welfare state.

The PN electoral programme promised no restrictions on the welfare state, a significant income tax cut, a budget in surplus and increasing employment within the next few years. We hope this is achievable - even better if we could also return to 15 per cent VAT.

Labour needs to plan how it might improve on this positive Nationalist scenario.

The last few weeks gave the impression that Labour was left with little more policy besides a Eurosceptic one. It has even left it up to the Nationalists to promise to do something, in the not-too-distant future, about Labour's 1970s punitive pensions legislation.

Labour needs some cool rethink on policy and presentation, not shouting about being "lions" for change - change to what scenario?