UK Election Special

Something changed a couple of days ago when Prime Minister and Labour leader Gordon Brown spoke at Methodist Central Hall. Perhaps for the first time he let his usual veneer and fake smile fall, and instead showed potential voters his passion. Always a double edged sword for Gordon, as obvious belief for what he does has so often in the past lit the short fuse towards a temper tantrum.

Knowing how to manage, and channel, passion has been one of the defining factors in this election. With the welcome addition (finally) of The Leader's Debates on television, the rules have changed. It's no longer enough to simply spend the most and run the slickest campaign, with the 'Debates electioneering just got a whole lot more personal.

Nick Clegg, of the Liberal Democrats, initially found it easiest to adjust to the greater 'real-time' scrutiny of the televised debate. Though as the campaign has progressed it's again come back to the message and of what it is he's actually saying. Even the great sound bite 'if you've had enough of the two old parties, then choose us' has a shelf life, and that seems to have coincided with the last Leadership Debate.

Conservative leader, David Cameron, whilst the most eloquent and television friendly, has wisely spent most of the time trying to be seen to be meeting the most 'real people'. Having the 'too posh to win' mantle to live down has been the toughest of all mountains to climb, as most of the population did not go to Eton or become a member of The Bullingdon Club. Many months of rolled-up shirt sleeves, casting aside the jacket, buying and eating snack food from a market trader, being genuinely open to questions in schools, colleges, factory floors, and the like have all been engineered to cement in potential electors minds 'I'm one of you, just like you – it's not where we came from that counts, it's where we're going to instead.' (another sound bite, naturally). Margret Thatcher had a much easier journey to becoming Prime Minister, 'grocer's daughter done good', whereas David coming from perceived privilege and then becoming 'one of the people' – much more difficult.

So, back to Gordon; his infamous short fuse, fake smile that fools no one, lack of natural interpersonal skills, and 14 years of experience/baggage notwithstanding, by just letting his hair down and throwing caution to the wind over the past 2 or 3 days and telling people not only what he wants, but more crucially why it means so much to him, might now be about to stage the biggest political comeback in recent history.

…and who do I want and think might win?

Conservative/ Labour, in that order.