Categories: uncategorized
Date: 10 November 2007 09:37:24
So the leadership campaign is well underway and battle has commenced via the inbox. Last night I came home to find that the centre left ground was being hotly contested and that the votes of people like myself were being clearly sought.
There were two very different strategies being employed in this weeks mailings. Nick Clegg had taken the approach of having Paddy Ashdown and Shirley Williams send out a glossy endorsement, which sought to appeal to everybody and stress unity; arguing "his campaign is uniting the party, winning the support of so many members - from Simon Hughes to Cyril Smith, from LDYS Chair Mark Gettleson to Fife Council Leader Elizabeth Riches." It did outline a few of his policy ideas, but was basically sound bite politics from the party grandees.
Chris Huhne however took a different approach in an e-mail which was far less spin and gloss but far more defensive in nature. He focuses on his policy ideas for education and health but with comments such as "I've already made plain that I don't go along with those Lib Dem MPs who propose American-style school vouchers or replacing the NHS with privatised health insurance." one does feel that the he is on the defensive.
So have I been influenced by the mailings? Well yes, but by both and in different ways. To me the endorsement of Shirley Williams and Simon Hughes does matter. They are key figures within the party whose political views I respect, and in my mind the best two leaders the Lib Dems have never had. The unity issue is also important to me and I think that the policy soundbites being put forward by Clegg are important. However, Clegg's campaign is showing too much gloss and spin for my liking. For example the mailing was entitled "Dear Friend", um no I don't think so.
Mr Huhne however, appeals on his straight forward approach which does lack the spin and gloss. His e-mail was addressed to Fellow Liberal Democrat and was in the format of a standard e-mail (it is clear he doesn't have a decent web designer on his team) and didn't seek to appeal through celebrity endorsements but rather through the use of good old fashioned passion (and one could argue desperation).
So who will I vote for? I don't know but I think at the moment Clegg is slightly ahead in my mind (and yes it is largely because Shirley Williams told me to think that way).