POLITICS: Politics Idol

Question to contestant, "Why do you want this?" Reply from contestant "It's all I've ever wanted to do" - it's the reply most uttered by pop star wannabes on Pop Idol and the like. A phrase so vacuous and common it produces little more than a roll of eyes from anyone but the most kind hearted. It seems that now, more than ever before, wanting to be 'famous' is a career choice in its own right. This aspiration may seem woeful enough but it gets a whole lot worse when applied to politics.

At present the main political opposition to Labour is the Conservatives. However, it would seem that with each passing day David Cameron moves his party ever left. This is either alarming, disappointing or downright catastrophic dependant upon your concern for the near future of UK politics. Where has the debate gone? Where are the angry young politicians? More than anything, where have all the opinions gone? There is now nothing more than a meandering centre ground, where open debate is muted and opinions more than a little off centre are derided and lambasted by the politically correct, the bullies of mundanity.

Labour or Conservative? This was a question that historically would split a room of people and give some good pointers as to the respective opinions of the people. Now? It's about as incisive as splitting people based on their condiment preference. We have finally come to a point where the same question mentioned in the beginning of this post could be applied to politicians: "Why do you want to be in power?" Reply, "It's all I've ever wanted to do!" The most disgusting thing for me about David Cameron is that I don't believe for a single moment he actually has any firm political beliefs. In some ways I find this more intolerable than a politician with despicable but genuinely held personal beliefs. It means the UK is destined to be run by people with no firm vision for our nation either morally or economically. Merely career politicians, as hungry for fame and power for fame and power's sake as the wannabe pop stars are.

The likely conclusion is a bleak vision: political correctness, a lack of reasoned debate, government manifestos based on popularity over prudence, pandering to fashionable fads *cough* global warming *cough*. With more than 30% of polled people opting out of the democratic process at present these are sad times. I don't believe it is because people don't care about our country. I believe the more likely scenario is that people are apathetic about the options. Whatever your political persuasion you should, for the greater good of democracy in our country, vote at the fringes (both left and right). Shock the current wannabes into having an opinion, if nothing else.