Election Coverage, Or Lack Thereof..

Well, it's finally almost over: after weeks of debates, public appearances, baby-kissing and old-lady-offending, Election Night 2010 is finally upon us. Unfortunately, this year, despite the party I'd probably have voted for being seen as the dark horse of the race, I'm not registered to vote. I voted in the last election, when I was 18, back when the Lib Dems were led by jolly alcoholic Charles Kennedy and not taken too seriously. This year however, it's become a tightly run three-horse race, with reports exclaiming the possibility of a 'hung parliament'.

Admittedly, I've skimmed through alot of the political coverage in the papers. And by 'papers', I mean the Metro. Mostly for something to read on the many, many bus journeys to and from town. Having been brought up mostly with a Labour government, I've always been brought up to think that you just don't vote Conservative. But it seems this year that the new breed of Tory has emerged, one which is 'down with the people'. In the last few weeks we've seen David Cameron be filmed going around factories in the north of England, mixing amongst the 'real people' who he's trying to convince that the Tories are a party for the people. In fact, everywhere we look there's one of the Big Three grinning from the pages of newspapers and from televison screens.

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I was initially worried about having to write about the election coverage, as I haven't actually watched any of it. This is the first year that there has been a televised live debate with all three leaders: Gordon Brown (Labour), Nick Clegg (Lib Dems) and David Cameron (Conservative), and it gained a respectable average viewing figure of 9.4 million (peak figures vary from 10.3 million to 11m), and yet I don't remember seeing much in the way of advertising. Perhaps I just wasn't paying attention, but it didn't seem to be much of a 'big deal'. Undoubtedly there seems to be alot more interest in the general election this year, although it seems to have turned into a posh-boys' slanging match, with the three party leaders criticising each others' policies which aren't so far removed from their own. Sure, I'd have liked to have the chance to be able to go and vote, but I think in the end, apathy got the better of me. I found it all a bit nauseating, and I'll be glad when the whole experience is over!