Nobody's Changing

The Tories launched their manifesto yesterday in Battersea Power Station cleverly using its symbolism with their talk about the need for ‘Regeneration’, whilst walking into some simple jokes referring to the cover Pink Floyd’s Animals (including Prescott quick off the mark with little better to do than twitter his life away..) and apparently ignoring the possibility of it being considered a symbol of decay and Britain’s industrial past, never to return, that was shut down for good during Thatcher’s reign. Never mind…

But even before this launch and the subsequent lukewarm response to the content, with all the talk of a ‘Big Society’ and the realisation that David Cameron is suggesting that is up to us, the voters, the people, to sort out and run the country..! (When his work is done and Government has shrunk to the running of Parliament’s gift shop and bar, do you think David will retire to become the country gent we all know is bobbing around underneath that polished, caring, sleeves rolled up, exterior?) Even before that, the Tories lead in the polls had slipped. Just a little, but in this election we’re talking a few seats between outright power and sharing… The Lib Dems having some sort of say in Government.

So what’s happened? Because from where most people are standing, nothing much has happened at all. The campaigns have been as devoid of inspiring content as I expected them to be. And Prescott’s too busy socially networking to be out swinging hay bailers…
Why are Labour still apparently appealing, when they have a record to be torn to shreds and why are the Tories floundering, when… Well, when they’re up against Gordon Brown and his mob?!
Now I’ve asked the question I should probably provide some sort of answer.
Well who knows, they are only polls. But it could fear of and general uncertainty about the Tories, combined with Labour’s potentially guaranteed vote (which I intend to write about). I saw David Cameron speaking to an assortment of young voters and when asked if they would vote for him, he got maybe 20%. About 4 people put their hands up, right in front of him… I think the polls fluctuated with the support from business about the NIC cut, maybe some suspicion there. The marriage tax certainly can’t have helped and I saw that immediately. There is more I'm sure.
But I gave them way too much credit in recent times thinking they were holding back ideas, because with this tricky political middle ground everyone's scrapping over, they might be worried Labour would steal their ideas (which they kind of have done already). But no, nothing in the tank… Not gonna get you anywhere Dave… Certainly not back to the estate, letting the labs out of the back of your Range Rover, flat-cap on, shotgun over your arm.

The TV debate tomorrow might breathe some life into this election. But I know what we really need…



When politics meant something!