UK News

Political theatre unfolds according to script

There was a big fuss but no suspense this morning outside Number 10 Downing Street. In what has become a typical pattern in the world of 24-hour news, media organisations had been briefed in advance on the content and the choreography of Gordon Brown’s election announcement. This was the ultimate scripted, pre-packaged news event.

A huge pack of photographers, cameramen and journalists crowded behind crash barriers across the street from the famous black door from the early hours of the morning. The place was abuzz with technicians doing sound checks and taping cables to the ground with duct tape. The TV channels had lined up their star presenters in smart suits and ties, while behind the cameras reporters huddled in fleeces and scarves to fend off the morning cold in the notoriously draughty street.

“What’s going on?” joked Bob Ainsworth, the defence minister, as he arrived for a cabinet meeting before Brown set off to see the Queen. Indeed, anyone in Britain equipped with a TV set or a radio had already been given ample warning that the prime minister was about to ask for the dissolution of parliament and to call an election for May 6.

Veterans of previous election campaigns said Brown staged his big announcement very much in the traditional way, the only novelty being his decision to appear flanked by his cabinet rather than by himself. This was interpreted as a way to offset his personal unpopularity by presenting a team of familiar faces. Brown may also have been trying to draw a contrast with the Conservatives, whose leader David Cameron is widely seen as their main electoral asset but whose other senior figures are little known to most voters.

Whether voters will be charmed by the Labour team photo remains to be seen though. Few will have forgotten that Brown has survived several attempts to topple him by members of his own camp — the latest as recently as January.

The announcement itself, full of talk of recession and dire warnings of hardship should the Conservatives win, was not exactly rousing. “It sounded like they’d already lost,” said one correspondent leaving the scene just after the speech, while another described it as “Presbyterian”, a reference to Brown’s austere style and background as the son of a Scottish clergyman.

After the announcement, Brown sped off to start his campaign tour with visits to a supermarket and a printworks. It will all be scripted from now on until May 6 — unless Brown can be prodded into saying something unexpected during one of the three televised leaders’ debates coming up. That’s probably the best hope of those still keen to see a little spontaneity in our politics.

from The Great Debate UK:

Old traditions die hard in UK election campaigning

A study of constituency-level campaign techniques undertaken by Brunel University ahead of a general election expected in early May shows that direct mail is by far the most common method of contact used by politicians to reach potential voters.

Of the 27 percent of the electorate contacted by one of the three main political parties in February, about 90 percent received some form of communication through the post via direct mail, the study shows. Some 92 percent said they had been reached through mailings from the Liberal Democrats, 89 percent from the Conservative Party and 81 percent from the Labour Party.

Although a lot of people have spoken about this being the first new media election in the UK, and there is some evidence of email and Facebook being used, traditional campaign methods are still dominant, says Justin Fisher, director of the Magna Carta Society at Brunel University in West London.

"What we can say about social media is that it may enhance or complement more traditional forms of campaigning, but the idea that it's going to replace traditional campaigning at least at this stage is very wide of the mark," Fisher said.

Just over 1,000 people were interviewed for the study.

The Conservative Party, which needs to gain 116 seats in the election to win a majority of 1, have been most aggressive in their campaigning, reaching 60 percent of those polled, compared to 44 percent reached by Labour and 43 percent by the Libdems.

Overall, Labour are making most use of the telephone, the Libdems are making most use of direct mail and the Conservatives are making most use of email in reaching out to the electorate, according to the study.

What if it’s not the economy, stupid?

Gordon Brown is counting on a swift economic turnaround. It’s probably his Labour Party’s only hope of avoiding a humiliating electoral defeat to the Conservatives next year.

The latest news on the economy has certainly got people in Downing Street smiling. The housing market is stabilising and some commentators are even talking about Britain becoming the first major country to pull out of the recession.

Treasury forecasts of reasonable growth that were derided just two months ago suddenly don’t look so bad.

The Number 10 dream scenario is that the economy recovers strongly, Brown takes the credit and the polls turn in time for a May election.

But what happens if the economy does turn around by the end of the year and the polls don’t get any better?

If that happens, some party strategists are wondering whether that might be a good time for Brown to step down, say in January.

He could say he did what he set out to do — get Britain through the recession — and it was now time for a new face.

What now for Britain’s “special relationship” with Washington?

“He might not  have been the easiest of allies, but an ally he has been.”

That’s the verdict of the Daily Telegraph in an editorial to mark President George W. Bush’s farewell tour of Europe.

Despite concerns over issues such as Iraq,  the economy and extradition treaties, Bush was “never disloyal or ungrateful”, the paper said.

He acknowledged Britain’s unparalleled support after the Sept. 11 attacks, the newspaper noted. And Bush backed Britain over Northern Ireland and the Israeli-Palestine roadmap, the paper said.

“A country, like a man, can have friends who are difficult. But sticking to them is the essence of friendship,” the paper said.

The Independent wasn’t quite so gracious.

Proud to fly the flag?

The red and white flag of England will be flying above 10 Downing Street on Wednesday alongside the Union Flag to mark St George’s Day.

It will be the first time in recent history that the two flags will have flown above the Prime Minister’s official residence to commemorate England’s national day.

Other government departments are being encouraged to follow suit under constitutional reforms aiming “to give British people a stronger sense of what it means to be British”.

Whitehall will also for the first time be able to fly the national flags of Scotland and Wales on their buildings on St Andrew’s Day and St David’s Day.

The changes to protocol were introduced at the end of March, while restrictions on the number of days a year that government buildings could fly the Union Flag were lifted last year.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has even published detailed guidance on the arcane British rules of flag flying.

Only buildings with two poles can fly the flag of St George on Wednesday because the Union Flag takes precedence.

Unhappy mediums: Should psychics face tougher controls?

Anyone who wants to spend money trying to commune with dead relatives has never had so much choice.

There’s a growing array of satellite TV channels, Web sites, phonelines and even psychic churches which offer the services of mediums.

 But from next month, spiritualists will have to abide by strict new consumer protection regulations that are designed to give clients greater safeguards.

Some spiritualists want the government to rethink their plans to replace the Fraudulent Mediums Act of 1951 with new rules.

They say it will lead to the bizarre situation where mediums will issue disclaimers before they get to work in an attempt to stay on the right side of the law.

Psychics may have to tell clients that their service is simply entertainment or a sort of scientific experiment which has no guarantee of success.

The Spiritual Workers Association fears sceptics may bring malicious prosecutions.