PM’s message to PLP: Labour’s position is recoverable

At the heart of the Prime Minister’s address to the PLP in 30 minutes’ time will be an analysis of last night’s results which tries to say “it is not all over for Labour.”

The Prime Minister will say there are signs in the European Parliament election results that the Tories have not made a breakthrough.

Signs too, he will argue, that the expenses row inflicted a disproportionate blow on Labour in these elections. The core message: Labour’s position is recoverable.

Gordon Brown will also repeat the argument he was making to party activists in West Ham yesterday afternoon, reminding Labour MPs of why they are in politics.

No. 10 is said to be “a bit more relaxed than you might expect.”

Aides are convinced that they’ve frightened off enough potential rebels, but they’ve done it with a pretty defensive argument: the Prime Minister has led the party to such a dire place in public popularity that MPs should support him to avoid an immediate general election.