Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has attacked the government's "lamentable¹" failure to communicate.

社区秘书Hazel Blears抨击政府的“可悲的”沟通。

Hazel Blears says traditional campaigning methods remain the best

Writing in the Observer, Ms Blears says the public does not believe many of the government's policy announcements.

And she says use of "new media" by politicians is not as effective as traditional campaigning methods.

"YouTube if you want to, but it is no substitute for（代替） knocking on doors or setting up a stall（货摊，托辞） in the town centre," she says.

"We need to have a relationship with the voters based on shared instincts and emotions.

"We need to start showing we understand the instincts, fears, hopes and emotions of the broad mass of British people."

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has launched an online version of Prime Minister's Questions, pledging to respond to videoclip questions submitted via the Downing Street YouTube website.

Commons defeat

Ms Blears also criticises the government's handling of the issue surrounding the Gurkhas, saying it put itself "on the wrong side of the British sense of fair play, and no party can stay there for long without dire²（可怕的，悲惨的） consequences".

The government suffered a shock defeat in the Commons on Wednesday over its policy of restricting the right of many former Gurkhas to settle in the UK.

MPs voted by 267 to 246 for a Lib Dem motion offering all Gurkhas equal right of residence, with the Tories and 27 Labour rebels backing it.

Ms Blears says that Mr Brown will lead the party into the next election, but she also says that the government must appear more "human" if it is to defeat the Tories（保守党）.

"Labour ministers have a collective responsibility for the government's lamentable（可悲的，可怜的） failure to get our message across," she says.

"Whatever the problems of the recession, the answer is not more government documents or big speeches."

BBC political correspondent Laura Kuenssberg said sources close to Ms Blears have said this attack was not intended to be aimed solely³ at Mr Brown.

"The remarks she makes are really very strong, more important still because she's normally such a loyal voice, she's someone who routinely（通常） goes out there and defends the government and tries to sell their message," she said.

But this latest criticism will be seen as a piling up of pressure on the prime minister, our correspondent added.

Former deputy prime minister John Prescott had earlier rebuked⁴（斥责，指责） Labour politicians who criticised the prime minister.

Mr Prescott said members should stop complaining and get behind the party.