a strong and vigorous mind, capturing the imagination of the electorate, particularly of the middle-ground, from day one he was elected to the helm of the Malta Labour Party.

You might be thinking that I am writing this piece about him out of sheer political bias. Everyone knows that I am one well inside the structures of the Labour party. But then I am also capable of being an objective contributor and fully capable of making a thorough cross section analysis of a political situation.

My first reactions to Joseph’s initial impact with the electorate are reflective of the general mood of the country. One cannot deny that he is now generally liked. But what is good about Joseph is that he is liked by the right sectors of society. I am the type to mix, I work every day in a predominantly Nationalist environment where I feel I am accepted, my family background is politically moderate and most of my social acquaintances are Nationalist-leaning or floaters.

When they speak about Joseph I have realised that their initial scepticism and curiosity about his youth and competence in the run-up to the election has now been converted into a genuine interest to connect with him. Which means that the product and the brand are connectable. The post-electoral Joseph has already started to take the country into his confidence and trust. Notwithstanding the media barrage he has had to face since he first indicated his intention to contest the party leadership he has demonstrated an unwavering determination to reach his objectives - which is a fundamental leadership quality - and indeed he already has.

Capturing the mood of the middle-ground has been one of the most elusive challenges for the Labour party for the last 25 years. The Nationalist Party’s greatest asset has been its quest to maintain the middle-ground. In the 1990s it captured a sizeable portion of Labour leaning voters who had exploited Labour’s widespread educational and social reforms in the 1970s to their benefit.

They made a deserved leap forward in their quality of life but then were alienated from Labour because of certain excesses in the 1980s. They have not returned ever since.

The challenge for Labour is not merely to win over the diehard Labourites who have abstained, for some reason or other, from casting their votes in the last election. The commission that was set up to analyse the reasons for Labour’s third defeat in a row rightly pointed that out. But there are thousands of Nationalists out there who also didn’t bother to vote. If they all had to vote in 2013 Labour would still be trailing the Nationalists.

Labour will win the next election if it is capable of warming up to the middle-class whose presence in society has remarkably grown with the addition of former Labourites who are still inclined to vote PN to this day.

Joseph has political appeal not only because of his image and youth. It is because he has been speaking positively and resolutely about issues that the two major political parties have been intentionally avoiding to discuss for purely opportunistic reasons. The older and more experienced Lawrence Gonzi will simply refuse to put divorce and the recognition of minority rights on the agenda because he is bogged down by his conservative frame of mind and umbilical cord to the Church. The younger and progressive Joseph has no fear to speak his mind on these issues because he is secular and believes that one should not lead the moral agenda by imposition. He knows he will have civil society behind him. And with civil society come the middle of the road voters.

I feel it will be a pleasure working for Joseph.

Dr Gulia is the opposition’s main spokesman on home affairs