Style Usually Wins Over Substance

Perhaps taking the lead from the success in the US election of President Obama on a platform for change all the major UK parties are arguing they are the best ones to provide a change for the future.

It is interesting, and hardly believable, that even Gordon Brown and the Labour party are claiming they are the ones to bring about change in politics, Parliament and the economy. It sits very uncomfortably with me that the party who have been in power for the last dozen years now claims that they want to change things when many of the changes we need are to correct the mistakes, damage and lack of action in crucial areas like reform of the electoral system and protection of civil liberties.

David Cameron for the Tories argues he is the man to change things but while he does seem to have changed a lot about the Conservative party you just can’t help but think that there is so much under the surface that has been temporarily buried to be recovered another day.The Tories are after all called Conservatives which hardly suggests change is their main purpose. The Tories remain the party of big business and they are not likely to be very aggressive in their control and dismantling of the terrible situation we find ourselves in where the banks control the country and the economy though financial clout and enormous influence over government,

David Cameron has a problem in that for several years he has been seen as the face of change but that was only because the Labour Party, and Gordon Brown in particular, are so unpopular and he appeared to be the only alternative. This has been the old routine and It has happened in election after election. A significant proportion of the electorate were fed up with whoever was in power and there was only one apparent alternative and the vote went to the least disliked party.

It is rather hypocritical of the media and the various politicians who deride Nick Clegg as being all style and no substance as that is what electioneering is all about. If you happen to get a politician on your doorstep or meet one in your town just try talking policies for 30 minutes or so and see if they really want to talk about policy. All they want to do is to shake your hand and hope that because you touched them you will vote for them. How shallow is that?

Politicians get elected by two types of people. Those who like their policies and those who just get a feeling that they might be worth voting for. The first group are likely to be fairly committed to one party or another and are not easily swayed but the election is decided by the floating voter and the ‘don’t really care’, voter and these are the ones who will be vote on the basis of appearance and behavior.These are the voters who might vote for someone because they shook their hand and these are probably the voters who will decide the election and the politicians hope to win them over.

Elections are only partially won on policies. Appearance, attitude and style seem to count for a lot more and both Gordon Brown and David Cameron has been out-styled by a more likeable person who cannot be held responsible for the slow decline the United Kingdom.