Back on the Blogging (& election) Beat

It's been a couple of years since I blogged regularly, but the lure of the general election has got my typing fingers itching and I will be posting frequently over the next couple of months.

It's going to be a pivotal election - not because the two main parties have radically different ideas for government, but because it is a vital chance for democratic politicians to grasp onto and build upon any modicum of trust that remains with the public.

This is a massive opportunity for a party to stake out positive vision and leadership for the country. People are desperate for someone to speak up with openness, integrity and well thought through policies that stands a chance of renewing the country economically and socially.

Overly negative and personal 'attack ads', always shown to work in the past are just as likely to back fire this time round. The public mood will stay switched off.

I've been encouraged to see that the first round of Tory billboards (I've never voted Conservative before, but...I like their plans for families/the economy etc) do focus on setting out the party's ideas rather than attacking Labour. Whether senior strategists can hold their nerve and stay positive as the campaign hots up remains to be seen.

We need a general election where politicians are prepared to put forward specific ideas and policies that they're prepared to debate and defend rather than say as little as possible and hope that they don't make any howling 'mistakes'.

Campaigning proactively in the recent years of spin and holding the mythical 'centre ground' has been seen as unnecessarily dangerous, but this time round the greater risk is staying the same and meeting the public's ditch-like expectations.