Boris breaks election promise. Shock.

This was in yesterday's Standard:

Boris Johnson breaks his pledge to run Tube trains later at weekends

Followers of London politics will know it's not the first manifesto pledge that Boris has brazenly broken.

All of which begs the question, are the Tories right to point to Boris as an example of what a Conservative government might look like? Boris picked up a lot anti-Ken votes in the last mayoral election (see earlier post on Mr Waugh's piece)

How many of those are satisfied with him to date? I know several people who would normally vote Labour who couldn't bring themselves to vote Ken and decided to vote Boris for change. They now hugely regret that decision.

Will that impact on the Tory chances in the General election? Looking across London, I only see them taking one extra London borough (Sutton, since you ask). So I think they've reached a watermark there.

Will Boris help or hinder them with floating voters?

Hung parliaments

A few bits around today about voters wanting a hung parliament

What nonsense. Political journalists want hung parliaments. It's like their best ever wet dream. Although, I suppose the best ever wet dream is a dry, dirty dream.

Anyway, how do voters even vote to get a hung parliament? Hive-mind style communication, or do we all need to agree which constituency is getting which MP in advance?

The polls are reflecting general disdain for politicians. And quite right too.

I've personally not got a problem with hung parliaments. Although they might make me feel more inadequate than I already do.

Fullers PR success

Sorry, things keep popping into my head tonight. I meant to blog the other day to say well done to the Fullers PR team with all the coverage from that Cameron visit on Monday

Having him stand in front of cases of London Pride stacked a mile high was a marvellous bit of product placement. And it made me thirsty.

We were watching it in the office and it made me really hanker after a pint. And afterwards, someone from Sky News was doing a live into the studio standing in front of a London Pride truck. I was starting to think that they were missing a trick focusing so much on one product, when an ESB truck rumbled into shot. Good maximisation Fullers!

Well done to those clever PR men at Fullers. And if any of them fancy sending Solomon a case of ESB by way of thanks for this needless plug of their products, all they need to do is get in touch...

Slogans. Manifestos

Solomon remains confused by the Labour 'a future fair for all' slogan. It sounds sort of stilted. Doesn't it?

Like a phrase that has been chopped down by a sub-editor or ad exec to fit a space.

Or is it that Gordon Brown is offering all of us the chance to visit a futuristic fairground if we let him win the election? Like Thorpe Park crossed with Star Trek? Because if that is what we're being promised, I'm bloody well up for it. Flying dodgems sound unbe-bloody-lievable.

Obviously I'm not the first person to snigger at the image on the front of the manifesto - the communist-lite version. But it is funny. Part left-wing utopia, part staring in fear as the atom bomb explodes and waiting for the ensuing mushroom cloud.

I also like the Tory one. There's a nice serious image if ever there was one. Dizzy has been very funny with this post

Although I do enjoy the peerless Daily Mash's take on it. Out of interest, does any ever read manifestos, or just dissect the launches? And possible read the press releases?

Give the XXX a chance!

Paul 'look, I'm the most connected political journo you know, quite why I'm still working for this free paper is my business not yours' Waugh has blogged a bit on the idea that Cameron could win through on a 'give the new kid a chance' sentiment. He's pulled an old Express from the archives to back up his theory

My thoughts on this are...

1. Does that then work for the Lib Dems? And if not, why not? Paul says that the though process will be:
   "I can't face five more years of Labour/Gordon Brown. I'm not sure about Cameron. But, sod it, I'll give him a try."
   
   People will choose the 'untested contender'. But can you really think of the Tory party as an untested contender? Particularly with Ken Clarke still in it?
   
   It strikes me that the Lib Dems should try and claim that mantle as their own, portraying the choice as being between more of the same old Tories/Labour and the change they represent. In their cardigans and that.
   
   Obviously campaigning to be considered the unknown choice is a bit fraught with pitfalls, but I guess you just focus on the negatives of your opposition.
2. Paul suggests that the choice of Boris in the last London mayoral election backs up this theory. People were fed up with Ken and wanted to give someone else a go, even though they thought he was a risk.
   
   I think the first part of this is definitely true. But I don't think many people who voted for Boris saw him as a risk. They honestly believed he was equipped to run the great city of London. The muppets.