The “win” by Nick Clegg says everything you need to know about this election. Simply that the major two parties have failed to engage or provide policies with enough detail that appeal to the general public.
That doesn’t mean I agree with Nick Clegg or his policies, as I will explain later. Gordon Brown’s dogged refusal to admit to waste in the system, the complete bureaucratisation of every aspect of government and the fact that all he can do is refer 13 years back to when the Tories were last in power shows the weakness of his position. No new ideas and simply saying that he is tackling this or that now. Well, Mr Brown, you and your team have had 13 years in government and have busted the economy, left the political system open to abuse, stuffed quango’s, The House of Lords and Europe with your cronies at great expense to the taxpayer and have now embarked on a tax and spend policy that will wreck the nation for at least a generation.
On an evening where David Cameron had an open goal. He missed. Time and time again he had the opportunity to score, yet through his misjudgement as to what the public thinks is important he largely failed to get his points across. I do think the Conservative Party has a valid case when they say that immigration needs to be tightened, that waste needs to be cut now and that the economic recovery needs to come from the private and not the public sector. Yet where were the examples of waste? Where were the lists of quango’s and dead-end projects? Where were the pledges to rid us of tiers of waste, mismanagement and tangible plans that would ignite the nation? Nowhere. And if he doesn’t raise his game? His time will be up. Cameron had the most to gain and made a right old Eton mess of things.
As for Nick Clegg, I can understand why the public felt he won. He was the most relaxed and found ways to tempt viewers into thinking that some of his ideas were fair. Yet with the Mansion Tax – it sounds like a good idea to ask people who have more assets to pay more. Yet they already do. On income, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, VAT and to be fair they probably use the services of the nation the least. And if he thinks that his policies will work… think again. The Mansion Tax will cost more to administer than it will raise. It will stifle the housing market and force many owners of bigger houses to sell up, as they simply don’t have any spare cash. As for the rallying call on banks and bankers? Where are the policies that really help? Like reducing interest charges, bank charges and tip offs in the system? Nowhere. Yet a call to tax banks more puts the price of services up and scares away jobs and companies. It is the biggest and most stupid policy ever devised. If the general public believes that this is the way forward then please, welcome back the 1970’s, the sick man of Europe, the economic backwater and a country that has nothing, makes nothing and does nothing.
So for my “Badometer” where -10 is the worst score and 0 the best; Gordon Brown stays at – 8, Cameron moves down one to -5 and Nick Clegg is the clear leader with -10.
Let’s hope this fiasco is resolved and polices are clarified before the next live TV debate!
