Anthony Painter

And so the final leaders’ debate went as I have to confess I thought the first would. David Cameron was lucid and calm- the first time he’s really broken through. That will at least calm any lingering jitters there may be within his party.

There was plenty of dog whistle stuff- this is now about buttressing the Conservative vote. Gone is progressive conservatism. This is about adding a a few percent to their 2005 33% total by tapping into discontent with the Government mixed with more traditional Conservative messages. David Cameron, should he become Prime Minister soon after next Thursday as the polls appear to indicate is likely, enters office as a traditional Conservative. Many will celebrate that fact. However, he’s ditched all that was interesting in Cameron-ite progressive conservatism in the process. The man is still standing but he’s shed his load.

Nick Clegg has not really built on his initial surge. He hasn’t fallen backwards but the ‘these two’ routine is really wearing very thin. He tried to do some reassurance on economic policy and good for him for sticking to his guns on the illegal immigrants amnesty. Of course it makes sense if it’s done the right way. These people are here. They are in the hands of criminals and work in the shadow economy. If there is a passage to legitimacy that involves a recognition that they were wrong to stay here illegally with some acknowledgment of that in some community or financial contribution then why would we not want to do that?

Amongst undecideds Nick Clegg won according to Angus Reid 37-25-22 (Clegg-Cameron-Brown.) He goes into Thursday with his personal brand and political philosophy very much in tact. He hasn’t left the earth’s orbit as seemed possible at one point. He will remain post-election exactly what he has become during the election- the most interesting phenomenon of change since the advent of New Labour.

Gordon Brown’s performance last night reflected the problem he had with Gillian Duffy on Wednesday and that in turn reflects the difficulty that Labour finds itself in. The British people are from Venus, Labour is from Mars. There is just a persistent misunderstanding; voters’ needs and impulses are met with cold rationalism and technocratic jargon. Labour and the voters have woken up one morning to find that they have become different people. When we take a step back we may remember what is was that kindled the early flames of passion; we can smile at the good times and cringe at the bad. Ultimately though, it’s just too painful. we know we’re meant to be together but we just can’t make it work any more.

So we go into the final week of the campaign basically seeing if we can keep it together for the sake of the kids. We’ll manage it I’m sure. Like a revisited memory of a romantic day on the seafront of an English seaside town, Tony Blair is coming back today to remind us a little of our youthful abandon. We’ll get through somehow but it’s going to take more than a couple of romantic dinners in the local bistro to put right. And yet, underneath it all, beyond shared experiences and achievements, there is something there. But how can we learn to communicate again in order to rediscover it? In the meantime, through the commitment of tens of thousands determined activists we’ll pull through. And with good humour.

Gordon Brown won the radio debate according to reports. Unfortunately, it was on television that 8million people were watching the debate. And the style v substance thing is a bit tame now. In modern politics you can’t detach ‘style’ from ‘substance,’ There’s a reason we don’t send civil servants out to explain policy to the punters. It would precipitate revolution. In an election, you don’t have the luxury of separating ‘style’ and ‘substance’- they are bound together. So if you win on ‘style’ but not on ‘substance’ or vice versa then you haven’t won overall. You need both.

And that is what a general election is about- a conversation about our national destiny. And a conversation involves at least two participants. The problem is that one of the participants is rather too used to having their own way. So both have ended up just shouting at each other and not listening. And yet, and yet, the Labour tradition remains strong. Labour’s programme for change is the right general direction for Britain. The party remains resolute. Seven critical days. The opportunities for bucking the direction of this election are diminishing. And yet, the love has not quite gone…..

Meanwhile, ‘bigotgate’ does not yet seem to have had an appreciable impact on the seat predictor. Conservatives no change, Labour down one, Liberal Democrats up one.