@jbond Yes, that's what I mean. The belief that it's terrible for the Tories to attack their policies implies that they think the Tories are in touch with the national mood—that if the Tories don't like it, then the people must not like it. Your opponents attacking good, popular policies makes them look bad, not you. A party that believed it was fit to lead and its opponents were out of touch wouldn't be afraid to plough its own furrow.