UK Decides: An Occasional Election Diary

Yesterday, Monday 12 April, the Union Jacks flew above all the important buildings in Whitehall at half mast in tribute to the Polish President who, along with 95 others, died in the horrific plane crash in Russia. But in the media, the election has returned to dominate the front pages and television, yesterday’s topic being the unveiling of Labour’s manifesto.

My visit to London accidentally coincides with the four weeks up to polling date, and I will write an occasional report on this momentous time. My impressions can only be drawn from the media as when I am out and about there have been no conversations on buses or in shops or in cafes, overheard or otherwise, about politics. Except for meeting one retired couple, long time Labour supporters, who are folding pamphlets and walking the streets for the Liberal Democrats this time.

Last Thursday, the last day Parliament sat, I raced early to Westminster to ensure I witnessed its last days. At 8.30am the group of laconic Police on duty assured me there would be no crowds wanting to be there and to come back at 10.30. They were right. High above the Commons, looking down on the few members lounging on the green benches as if they are in a fish bowl, my neighbour was a political studies student from Tasmania and we seemed to be the only ones speaking English. On the other hand, the standard of debate was impressive. Was this exceptional because they actually had to focus on the main issues and pass legislation, or is it always like that? I don’t know. I do know that the grasp of relevant detail, articulate argument and good humour of the speakers on carbon emissions (the topic being an Energy Bill) throws the level of debate in our Parliament on the same topic into very sad relief.

What a feast of media there is. But how can anyone have time to read it all as well as look at the continuous TV election news! The surfeit of print media choices each morning is simply over the top. If I was streaming into work in an office every day, the two giveaways - City AM and Evening Standard would do me. They cover the main points succinctly, add interesting tidbits and seem to have opposing political bias. If you really want to know something in depth or about events outside the UK, you can always add the Guardian. It is indeed superb on substance, but you couldn’t possibly read it all and still have a life.

The Tory party and business leaders won the first day of electioneering with the slogan that cutting Labour’s National Insurance increase was essential for productivity, and that anyway the resulting funding shortfall can be made up from cuts to the public service. Devising winning slogans is of course the bedrock of elections, so counter arguments from Labour about the need to fund public services and to fuel the retreat from recession went under the radar. PM Brown also managed to insult VIP business leaders by suggesting they didn’t understand.

His bad luck continued yesterday with the release of the manifesto coinciding with the appearance of three Labour MPs in the Crown Court on fraud and theft charges relating to parliamentary expense claims, and with their legal costs supposedly funded through legal aid. Cameron had a field day – he will review legal aid and one thing is sure, MPs in such a position will not get legal aid in future. BBC News tried and failed to run a clip from Jack Straw, in which he apparently would have said that there has already been such a review but it will not be implemented in the Crown Court until June. Bad Luck timing there. Legal aid experts pointed out plaintively that the Court not Government grants legal aid, it is means tested and maybe the MPs won’t get it anyway.

Educational standards seem to an obsession here as well as at home, with the Labour manifesto proposing that there will be a choice of good schools in every area and, where parents are not satisfied or objective results indicate a need, there will be power to bring in new leadership teams through merger and takeovers! This means takeovers by successful state, private schools, education chains or even universities, and is likely to be mainly at secondary level to drive up “stubbornly low standards”. The aim is to “unleash the highest quality providers”. Is this a possibility for us if the drive to introduce educational standards in NZ fails?

The takeover concept for failing organisations is not confined to schools but will be possible with all front line services including health and Police. A somewhat bemused Police Superintendent pointed out on tele that problems could be tackled and inadequate Chief Constables removed now. As a spectator, I am left wondering whether there are huge existing areas of inadequate public services while a wealth of high quality providers wait in the wings, or is this the new black –restructure and reduce costs in the name of improving standards. Presumably the Tory policy will just be blatant cuts, but we’ll see their manifesto today.

Apparently NHS chiefs had a 6.9% increase last year, twice that of nurses, which was the point of the article. It is certainly interesting to a NZer that there were such increases here in the worst recession year since the 30s. Several commentators point out that, now Greece has had a handup, the UK is the next worst economic performer in Europe. You would think the economy would be the main concern this election, but it is not that visible yet. Most commentary suggests UK is in a steady recovery. The Guardian’s lead economic article yesterday astonished me by suggesting that the avarice of you and me as investors who want an affluent retirement is the true villain of the global slump!

We had a touching in depth time with David Cameron on ITV last night. He seems like a really friendly, youngish, well adjusted, family oriented, bland bloke with a worthy public spirit outlook, albeit from a very privileged background. Almost a clone of John Key - albeit from a very privileged background. What could be nicer and sure to appeal to voters big time. And that’s what the polls say, although the parties are currently closer together than predicted. The Leader’s debate on Thursday night, with Brown, Cameron and who-is-it-again for the Liberal Democrats, may be very influential as it seems they don’t usually run such a format.

Finally, a snippet from the Guardian says that a Truth Commission report on Iceland’s financial collapse will be published today. The Supreme Court judge who wrote it has said “no committee has ever brought such bad news to its nation”, and he suggests a national holiday be declared so that Icelanders have time to read it. Now that’s democracy and economic understanding for you.

(occasional coverage of the UK election campaign continues…)

Margaret Thompson is a director of Scoop Media who is coincidentally on holiday in London during the UK election campaign. The election will be held on May 6th.

ENDS

© Scoop Media