Election Time

What's the worst that could happen? Obviously, the Tories getting back in. However bad (New) Labour is, and my quick mental list includes things they have done

• the Iraq war
  
• University fees
  

things they said they'd do but haven't

• electoral reform
• join the Euro

and things they've said they will do

• force us to carry and pay for ID cards
  
• incitement to religious hatred bill,
  

I am neither too young nor too stupid to remember the last time we had a Conservative government. Despite myself, I still quite like Tony Blair. And I still look forward with anticipation to the 5-day street party when Mrs Thatch finally shuffles off.

Michael Howard tells us not to trust Tony Blair because he "lied", but we don't trust Michael Howard because he's a Conservative. He tells us he'll clean the hospitals, forgetting to mention that the reason they are dirty is because the Conservatives privatised the cleaners.

What's the best? I can't see much wrong with the LibDems. They're untested, but so are all incoming opposition parties. The trouble is they will never win whilst the voting system is based on first-past-the-post fear ballots.

So I'm hoping for a reduced Labour majority. With the LibDems holding the balance of power. That will do.

My vote won't count - only if all the Labour and LibDem voters join up can we unseat Jim the farmer's friend Paice - but I'm still going to use it.