One week on from the carnage of the local and London elections, and with Labour still in polling freefall (witness The Sun putting the party 26 points behind) how is the centre-left to make sense of what has happened to Gordon Brown and New Labour?

Last week's events could not have been made up in theatre or fiction. Within days of Labour's humiliation in the local elections it has become engulfed in a storm of controversy and confusion about the union.

Much like the 1980s saw the birth of the concept of "mugging"; the Blair years defined a new criminal activity: anti-social behaviour. This amorphous entity covers everything from high-hedges to noise to the possession of firm-arms.

David Cameron's pitch for the progressive ground of politics is a huge challenge to the centre-left. It is both threat and opportunity. The threat comes from the fact that he might be believed. Given that New Labour has never trumpeted its redistribution to the poor no one feels good about it.

On May 1st, 2008 the Labour Government was given a stark and serious ultimatum - change or cease to exist. The numbers by now are familiar: a Labour loss of 331 councillors, a Tory gain of 256, a 12-council gain for the Tories, a nine-council loss for Labour, the Cameron Conservatives now holding over three times as many councils as Brown's Labour.

Of all the countless books I have read on or by Karl Marx, by far the most readable, entertaining and illuminating journey through the life of the great man was provided by journalist Francis Wheen. That biography, published nearly 10 years ago in 1999, remains a classic of its kind.

Over 300 people have now booked their place at this year's Compass conference. The event Born Free & Equal takes place on Saturday 14 June held in association with Unite, The Guardian and New Statesman and will ask the question: How do we deliver equality in the 21st century? High profile speakers include Ed Miliband, Douglas Alexander, Beatrix Campbell, Danny Dorling, Derek Simpson, Melissa Benn, Kate Green, Deborah Littman, Polly Toynbee, Jon Cruddas, Neal Lawson, Jon Trickett and Ruth Lister.

How does Labour win again? A poignant question after the election disaster on Thursday. It was this question that an esteemed panel - Jon Cruddas MP; David Lammy MP; Jennette Arnold AM; Steve Richards, The Independent; John Harris, The Guardian and chaired by Jackie Ashley, The Guardian - came together to discuss in front of a filled Committee Room 14 in Westminster yesterday.

The collapse of Labour 's vote in these local elections is about something more than Gordon's Brown's leadership, New Labour 's triangulating electoral tactics and the stay-at- home revolt of Labour's traditional supporters.

The independent report commissioned by Business Minister John (lets celebrate the rich) Hutton concluded that privatisation threatens services and brings no benefit to customers.