A three horse race - plus a few nags!

The general election has come alive for politicos. For those who have a vague interest it seems to resemble the barbeque my wife is just now trying to fire up! I am beginning to think that we may have a worse result in democratic terms than we did last time. In 2005 Blair warbled on about a third term victory but he failed to emphasise that only 20% of the electorate had bothered to support him and his cronies. The British electoral system is ideal for two parties. However, if those parties shatter into smaller groupings then the possibility of being governed by a minority is high. It is made even more so if large numbers stay at home twiddling their thumbs.

Nick Clegg has sent the political establishment into fantasyland. What if? How come? They are working out all kinds of scenarios. The bookmakers are now taking bets on Clegg being prime minister outright. If he were to become the top politician I bet he wouldn't have secured it by a real majority. Just like Blair won a landslide on the back of a divided opposition so too could Clegg achieve gold by just getting a better share of the vote than the others. 30% of the turnout could do it. If the turnout was only 55% of the whole, it says a lot for mandates and the like.

However, this is now a three horse race. Any kind of result could ensue. I saw Philip Hammond, Conservative treasury spokesman talking about the need for a Conservative win. Whilst I might agree with him his logic was flawed. The Conservatives are almost as untried in government as the LibDems are. Only Ken Clarke and William Hague have some real knowledge of cabinet. The rest would be starting with a clean sheet of paper. After thirteen years that is the facts of it all. Hammond suggests that the LibDems can't be electable because they've never been in power before. That argument holds no water with the electorate. Conservatives should win on their current message not on their historical activities. In local terms new parties do come to power on a tide of change. The Boston Bypass Independents and Kidderminster Health Concern are two prime examples.

I can see why Adam Boulton is so fired up. He's going to be in charge of round two. And as a referee he may let the verbal punch-ups go on longer than the seconds may like. Be prepared for the same sort of conversation after the contest as Frank Bruno had with the late great Harry Carpenter. "Bit below the belt there, 'Arry!" and other boxing metaphors.