Election Fever

So, we're coming up for election here in in the UK. Last night was the first of the American-style televised debates between the three leaders of the main parties. Frankly I found that it made frustrating and depressing viewing.

It was clear to me that Gordon Brown was the most statesmanlike, most convincing, most confident and articulate and by far the least oily of the three. However the pundits and polls did not agree with me. But, I kind of don't think they would whatever had been said. I'm not sure that Gordon Brown can do anything anyhow to change the set perception - he's got the hardest job, trying to persuade people to vote for him again, well of course it's human nature to criticise, moan and complain especially here in Britain and such fun too. Our health service and education system are generally infinitely better now than they were when the Conservatives left Downing Street - and most importantly Labour have a moral and social conscience sadly absent from the "I'm all right Jack" philosophy of the Tories.

Change is always tempting. But remember those dreadful dreadful Thatcher years when all that was good in our country was destroyed? It'll happen again if we let ourselves be duped by the empty, smarmy rhetoric of the Tories. Never was Shakespeare's phrase, 'smiling damned villain' more apt when one thinks of David Cameron. Things could be SO much worse and people should be very, very careful what they wish for.

As for Nick Clegg - he was ok. Reasonably reasonable, measured with little to lose and everything to gain. But he didn't come over as a prime minister and he scored easy points for being personable in a manufactured kind of way.

Here's my election poster then, stuck in the window of my blog: VOTE LABOUR! You'll regret David Cameron, I predict, and when you do it'll be far, far too late.