American Politics Journal -- Lackluster Election Season Hits UK

American Politics Journal

Letter from a reader:
Lackluster Election Season Hits UK
By Nicola Mitchell

Tuesday, June 5, 2001 -- LONDON (APJP) -- Here in the UK we've never
really been blessed with all the drama and excitement that comes with
an American election, and this time around the 2001 general election
has certainly been no exception.

And how could we expect any excitement given the uninspiring choice we
have in the candidates? There is, of course, our fearless leader, Prime
Minister Tony Blair. The smart money is on him, as he looks unstoppable
in his bid for a second term. After initial complaints he was not
meeting 'real' voters, he can't walk two steps without being attacked by
some angry member of the public determined to tell him where he's going
wrong.

Then we have William Hague, leader of the opposition. Only a miracle
will save him from a lynching by his party after the election result
comes in. No matter how hard he tries he just can't seem to get the
public to like him, you can almost hear the sound of knives being
sharpened as Conservative party members prepare themselves to go in for
the kill.

Finally we have Charles Kennedy, leader of the Liberal Democrats.
Building on the misfortunes of William Hague, he's been playing the
honest card pledging to raise taxes and join the single currency. In
this dismal political production he plays the nice guy who believes a
big smile and a sense of humour can win over anyone.

So while the main contenders do not exactly inspire us, neither has any
of the campaigning. We did have one high point in the form of a punch up
between the deputy prime minister and a protestor, but the rest of the
election has passed without a murmur.

In the final days Labour are relying on headline grabbing pledges about
education and health, while the Conservatives are desperately trying to
make up lost ground. Last week William Hague declared we only had a week
to save the pound, but his efforts to campaign on a single issue -–
Europe -- seem to have backfired with recent polls suggesting Labour has
anything up to a 19 point lead.

In the race to the finish line, Labour's reliance on American political
tactics is becoming clear. Recent reports have suggested Democrat Bob
Mulholland has coached Labour in the best methods of trashing your
opponent, which probably explains the recent unveiling of a poster of
William Hague dressed as Margaret Thatcher.

Taking further lessons from America, the importance of wives on the
campaign trail has played a key role. Hague has taken his trophy wife
Ffion everywhere, although she is obviously under strict orders to keep
quiet. Meanwhile, the PM's wife, Cherie Booth, has a played her part
with an appearance presenting a life time achievement gong at a soap
opera awards ceremony shown on national television.

As polling day draws ever closer, the Conservative party are bracing
themselves for a thrashing. As we speak, Margaret Thatcher has been
unleashed to warn the party faithful about a Labour landslide, while
many members of the Liberal Democrats are hoping tactical voting will
gain them a share of the Labour majority.

One thing is for sure -- lessons have been learned from Florida. In
these final days, get out and vote drives are big on the election
agenda, and it is now possible for anyone to vote by post -– although
recent postal strikes have threatened to cause problems.

So as we reach the final lap the battle lines have been drawn, and the
vultures are beginning to circle. As the beleaguered parties crawl
towards the finish line it looks as though it will take a miracle to
knock Tony Blair off the top spot, and an even bigger one to save
William Hague from being cast into the political wilderness.



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