The election campaign enters its final week, with the parties unveiling their last-ditch poster efforts (Labour: “All right. We’re lying fuckers. But at least we’re not those lying fuckers”. Conservatives: “Don’t forget, he killed that Dr Kelly”).
And so it is the time when you will be looking for me to tell you how to vote.
This web log has readers from the widest ranges of the political spectrum. As I sit here writing about the big issues of the day, I like to think that in some small way I am as important as the United Nations and UNICEF and the BBC World Service in bringing society together. It is a responsibility that I take seriously.
I got a nice email from an important Labour party lady the other day, and some ‘out’ Liberal Democrats are regular readers. There are Scottish Nationalists who have said nice things about us, which is great as I am a big admirer of The Proclaimers, especially their songs ‘Sunshine on Leith’ and ‘The Joyful Kilmarnock Blues’.
On the other side, I understand that this web log is very popular with some US and UK Right Wing Librarians, and they are also welcome. (I expect they show their political allegiance by doing things like filing ‘Adam Smith’ under ‘A’ instead of ‘S’).
Let us also not forget the International people. This election is also key to them, as they are either our European partners, or we used to own them, or we still do own them.
And then, of course, there are the vast swathes of people in the middle who don’t have a fixed view either way.
So, before making a decision, let us examine the options available. Firstly – have Labour delivered?
Well, the village has got a couple of nice new sign posts. The village pub has re-opened, and flashing speed limits have been erected. My house is worth a lot more than it was before, but – and this is annoying – so are all the others that I might want to move to at some point.
The village shop seems to be doing an all right trade, but he has a bit of a creepy wife.
But the key issue – the key problem – is one of trust. And specifically: If we can’t trust Mr Blair on taking us to war with Iraq, how can we trust him on the proposed junction improvements on the A149 at Heacham?