Election manifestos - ongoing

Well now the Lib Dems and UKIP have both brought out their manifestos to win over the British people and they are all neatly printed and all that. The Libs I think had the best cover of all: a splash or a few splashes of colour and some upbeat-gravitas.

But the Tories launch doesn't seem to have gone that well with the media and there is a lot of talk of style winning over substance. Now with the polls showing Labour coming up, this may be a worry for the Tories.

It is fairly obvious that the UK voter is not sure who to vote for and if they are one day they change the next. This may be the pattern right up to the election day itself. But I think the TV debates are going to be a key factor and Cameron is now saying he is nervous. Well, I wouldn't admit that too much. One slip and you could be back on the Opposition benches.

As for PM Brown, he will be articulate and intelligent AND moody-looking. He will want to show he is a warm man, a conviction politician and an economist with gravitas who can be trusted.

Clegg: well he has all to win and not much to lose. They are on about 20 points in every poll, but now he is up against the two main contenders for PM. He will seek to have that air of seriousness and indeed the radical policies that he feels will propel his party's number up and over 100. And I think they have a good chance to do that this time around.

But who knows what will happen. I went to a Conservative office today in an electorate and asked for the manifesto and was told it was on the net, but that they had no hard copies. Could pay for one. No way - they ought be throwing them away and they ain't.!!!!

Oh well, bring on the TV debates and let's see their colours, their metal, their vision, their hopes and all that as well as their avoidance of anything awkward. Remember Richard Nixon in 1960. The stubble was his downfall and JFK went on to win. Who will wear the stubble Thursday night and who will be the inspiring pretty boy?

14 April