Do It Yourself.

Well.

The manifestos are out.

It's mainly the usual stuff- lots of words like "fair" and "future" and "lovely us!", and lots of promises about saving money without cutting services/raising taxes (it involves telling public sector workers to pull their socks up, apparently).

The most interesting play* comes from Cameron and the Tories**.
They've decided that more "power" should be given to "ordinary people".
If they decide that their local hospitals/schools/roadworks aren't up to scratch, they should be allowed to wade in themselves. Roll their sleeves up and take over.

The message is clear.
You guys, the prospective voters, you're the cleverest most able people there are.
Much cleverer than, say, qualified professionals.
And the best way to stop the qualified professionals (who frankly litter our public services these days) from spaffing our taxes up the wall is to get rid of them, and for you to start doing their jobs yourselves.
You're our only hope.
You're so bloody great.
Never mind how busy you are. You. You, the floating voter. You're so damn capable, and you know so much about literally everything. You're Britain's last chance.

And it's clear why that's the message.

It's flattering.
It's a very appealing narrative.

Much more appealing, for example, than saying "You're probably quite thick and should have less of a say in things".
A politician with the balls (or ovaries) to say that would really impress me.

For example, I've always found the idea of school governors pretty weird.
It seems kind of silly to me that a Headteacher, an education professional with years of experience, isn't allowed to choose which teachers to employ.
They can make recommendations, but the decision itself is left to a group of amateur enthusiasts.
Well meaning folk all of them. But they don't definitely know what they're on about.
They're just keen to get involved.
Isn't that odd?
But it's exactly the sort of thing the Tories supposedly want to see more of.

Well, it doesn't sound smart to me.
The rise of the busy body.

Urgh.



Sorry these blogs aren't happening quite as regularly as advertised. I'm rehearsing a play and am as tired as a simile.

That hypothetical willy comparison is in the pipeline, needless to say.








*For "play" read "fairly desperate throw of the dice by a man watching a nearly invincible lead dwindle by the minute".
**Worst band name ever. Including The View.