Idle Dreary Days

An unapologetic Cameron is in pursuit of his funnyman status…

An extract from an article by Sam Delaney.

I have had such a problem with Cameron from the start because of this kind of attitude he has. He is horribly suave when it comes to PR, and even witty at times.

It’s just not natural.

“Last Thursday evening, amid the throng camping out overnight for the royal wedding, David Cameron sauntered down the Mall and did what he does best. He pretended to be prime minister. Just as he must have done as a child to his own reflection in the bathroom mirror, he addressed the crowds with a dead relaxed, “Hey, don’t freak out, I’m just a pretty normal, although obviously massively powerful, guy” assurance…

…It was classic Cameron. The kind of bloke who turns up for a photo opportunity with some builders at a greasy spoon and laconically orders a salad Niçoise. Just like his allusions to a dated car insurance ad a few days previously, it was yet more evidence that there is one thing he craves out of his premiership more than any other: to be regarded as the Chilled Out Entertainer of British politics….

…When he told Angela Eagle to “calm down, dear” he broke the single biggest rule of public discourse: if you’re in a suit and occupying a position of authority, never ever make a pop- cultural allusion to impress your audience. It doesn’t matter if you’re a prime minister, a geography teacher, a vicar or even John Humphrys on Mastermind trying to have a relaxed exchange with a contestant prior to the general knowledge round, it just never works. You don’t say “calm down, dear” for the same reasons you don’t say “not” at the end of a statement you don’t actually believe in. It’s silly and patronising and, anyway, even the most witless bores in society have long since moved on to grinningly saying “simples” in a daft foreign accent at the end of their sentences…

…He’ll doubtless already have planned an extra bank holiday for 2012, codenamed: “National Fun Day”. And if any more of his policies blow up in his face, the soundbite will already be written: ‘All right everyone, I effed up. Now, who’s up for some X Box?’”

I’m voting yes to AV…

, mostly because Polly Toynbee told me to…

“Tory donors, unrevealed, have outgunned the yes campaign by many millions, buying voluminous local and national ads claiming babies and soldiers will die because of funds wasted on AV: the Treasury itself says AV costs no extra…

…Contrary to the lie put out by the no campaign – but plainly passionately believed by Tories guided as ever by “gut”, not evidence – AV will not make coalitions more likely. Had AV been used for the last 30 years, the only hung parliament would have been last year’s – which happened under good old “British” first past the post. With or without AV, there are likely to be more hung parliaments anyway as voters increasingly spread themselves between many more parties. That means less than a third of MPs secured a majority of votes last time.

An excellent report yesterday from the Institute for Public Policy Research spells out the shift. YouGov polling for the report shows that 20% of voters now vote tactically, unable to register their true vote for fear of letting in their worst choice. AV at least lets people express their first preference, though without proportional representation it may not turn those preferences into MPs. Small parties with wide appeal – such as the Greens – may gain, while narrow parties like the BNP – which have no appeal beyond their niche – will lose out, as Nick Griffin has realised. That’s why he supports no.”

In all honesty I have yet to truly engage with the debate on AV, but realising the problems of first-past-the-post, (and after reading a couple of articles full of heavily pro-AV rhetoric) I’m voting yes.