How Do You Solve A Problem Like PM?

First of all, let me admit that I watched fully five minutes of the first live TV debate on Thursday evening. A few points here. I walked away after five minutes because I was uncomfortable with the idea. In short, it was like a balloon debate crossed with a Simon Cowell sponsored popularity contest. Because there were three participants, a few problems were obvious. While the Welsh, Scottish and Irish Nationalists are not going to win a majority in Westminster, their views have their place and deserve the same right to be aired. However, the format on Thursday means that one candidate had to be in the middle. I did a lot of debating when I was younger and I can tell you that being in the middle in a situation like this is anything but an advantage; infact, you are all too often caught in the cross-fire of the lateral candidates.

However, while as a lifelong Liberal supporter I am thrilled to see that support for the Liberals has apparently sky-rocketed, I would much rather it was not as a result of a popularity contest. I am not criticising Nick Clegg - I have been an advocate since he succeeded Sir Ming. My problem is that the majority of the Liberal policies have been crystal clear for some time. In addition, unless I have been the only one watching TV and listening to the radio for the last eighteen months, Vince Cable has won the economic arguments hands down since the global and localised corruption first came to light. We can hardly claim Vince to be the pin up boy can we? However, he is dripping in common sense and not afraid to espouse it. Therefore, in the event of a hung Parliament, I put Vince Cable forward as Chancellor. Sometimes the numbers used to describe the scale of National debt seem like they are from another world. They are not. They are frighteningly real. It is all very well to say we need new hospitals, new schools, new helicopters and the like. However, beggars can't be choosers. What is done is done and what has been spent has been spent. But we have to adopt strategies to reduce the debt or pay the consequences tomorrow. The latter should not even be considered as a viable option.

When the Election was called, I predicted that the Liberals would surprise the general view and grow their number to about eighty seats. I stand by this view and predict that the gulf between Labour and the Conservatives will grow between now and Election day. Not enough for an outright Conservative majority. Not quite. So, my advice to Labour and the Conservatives would be to take a good long hard look at Nick Clegg and Vince Cable because they have been steadfast in their message for quite some time now. Put short, now is the time to pay their court. Who Nick Clegg chooses will be very interesting. Choose Brown and you have one of the least effective and competent PMs for a long time. Choose the other option and the truth is nobody knows what we will get. Interesting times.