DIARY L ast week's Spectator editorial about the Liberal Democrats was
so intemperate that I considered telling Dominic Lawson to stuff his diary. So, we're a party without principle? What's unprincipled about not only promising resources for education and training but actually telling people before they vote that this will cost another penny on income tax? What's unprincipled about telling people before they vote that we'll have to pay more for petrol if we're to con- serve energy, reduce traffic congestion and tackle pollution? Or telling them before they vote that if we're to have a fair system of housing subsidy and at the same time control house price inflation, mortgage tax relief will have to be phased out (although not for those who already have it)? The Spectator can hardly claim we've taken the soft option. From what 'principled' position does Dominic Lawson defend a system that in 1987 gave the Tories 375 seats (a majori- ty of 100) on 42.3 per cent of the popular vote while the then Alliance got 22 seats on 22.5 per cent? Whatever it is, it can't be because we're — as he absurdly argues — socialist. The City firm UBS Phillips and Drew has described our economic pro- gramme as 'easily the most logically argued and sensibly radical'. Logical? Sensible? A fitting way to describe our manifesto, but hardly the words one would choose to describe The Spectator's editorial.
The third party in British politics has to overcome three main obstacles at election time: the electoral system, lack of money, and a 'media squeeze'. Surprisingly, the imbalance between the Tories' £20 million, Labour's £7 or £8 million and our £1.5 mil- lion is the least of our problems. That's because they waste a lot of their money on expensive advertising campaigns that only their advertising agencies believe have any effect. Also, we've learned to travel light. The Tories have spent half a million pounds alone on the set for the John Major rallies while ours cost less than £100,000. Yet in the end it's what the leaders are say- ing that matters — and the speech comes free.
Our main problem, then, is with the media: we have no tabloid supporter. In these mass circulation papers we're ignored, abused or misrepresented. Our manifesto won a couple of paragraphs in the Sun under the heading `Paddy's tax vow'. I suspect even Dominic Lawson will accept that's a somewhat superficial sum- mary of 15,000 words of policy developed over five years. The BBC and ITV con- spired together to offer us only four party election broadcasts, with five for the other
DES WILSON
parties, and this is to be reflected in the balance of news coverage throughout the campaign. In other words, the broadcasters are committed to knocking 20 per cent off our broadcasting time, although it is only through radio and television that we have any hope of reaching the 95 per cent who don't read the serious papers. No wonder it takes so long for our message to get across to most voters.
You have to feel sorry for Labour's Shadow Cabinet. As the weekend polls showed them ahead and they began to dream of the chauffeur-driven car, the red box, and the deferential Permanent Secre- tary, so John Smith and Margaret Beckett — with their hands on the putative purse- strings — were slamming the door on them actually doing anything with any power they got. That is perhaps the real success the Tories have had so far. There could have been a clear choice. On the one hand, the Tories, giving tax a bad name, deter- mined to cut public expenditure no matter what the effect on public services. On the other, Labour, committed to upgrade pub- lic services and ready to defend tax as a way of investing in the quality of our communi- 'All right then, so which one of the boring bastards are you most likely to vote against?' ty. Instead, Labour have been forced onto the Tory ground, determined to prove that they're a tax-cutting party too. If Labour's timidity means that we become like the United States where no politician dare defend tax, let alone argue that there can sometimes be a case for raising it, this will not become the 'kinder, more caring coun- try' Roy Hattersley so loves to talk about, but will become a country robbed by the cynicism and cowardice of its politicians of all the communally provided things it holds dear. Adequate public provision of educa- tion, health, social services, transport, policing will be made impossible. What a tragedy for Labour, that having abandoned every other policy since 1987, they've now allowed themselves to be boxed into such a corner that even in power they could not do what they came into politics to do. A Labour win and a Tory mandate? The founders of the Labour Party would turn in their graves.
The campaign's a fortnight old and we've been threatened with two libel actions so far. This is par for the course. One writ is from a big company and the other is from a trade union, so at least we've got the balance right. I've also had a standard fund-raising letter from Paddy Ashdown. Addressed to 'Dear Des ... ' it says, 'You know how hard our campaign director Des Wilson has worked ... ' I do Paddy, .I do. Another letter is addressed to the Rt Hon Des Wilson. Respect at last. I'm also receiving a dozen a day telling me how to run the campaign, mainly from peo- ple whose ideas are a lot better than mine. This is disconcerting, especially as the Guardian reports that 1, and not Paddy, am lined up to be the party's scapegoat if we don't get a good result. There will, it says, be a public execution. Oh dear.
Under the surface of the main opinion poll findings are others that show that if people believed the Liberal Democrat can- didate would win in their constituency they would vote for us in preference to the other parties. In more than 250 seats we are the main challenger, not Labour, not the Tories. This underlying popularity, togeth- er with the standing of our MPs in their own constituencies, is the reason why the opinion polls nationally are irrelevant to the number of seats we'll win. That's why those little blue, red and orange men Peter Snow plays with on Newsnight should be treated with considerable scepticism. Bet on it.
Des Wilson is the Liberal Democrats' Gener- al Election Director.
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