Today, the papers are full of discussion and comment about last night's televised debate. The consensus is that Nick Clegg won. Polling companies, such as YouGov, put Clegg in front and the state of the parties polls are now showing that the Lib Dems are picking up votes from the other parties. Even Cameron and Brown admitted today that Clegg did well.
Even so, I quite liked the viewer who said that none of the "leaders" addressed her concerns or had "anything to say for working families about jobs". Unfortunately, the whole exercise is aimed at moving the UK towards a US presidential style of contest, where personalities count for all because there are only capitalist parties in the ring.
So, a good debate for the Lib Dems but not for the workers. The three leaders' media show has framed the election debate around the need for cuts. Not one of them oppose cutting our services and living standards, not one of them stated that the banks should pay back the money that we bailed them out with, not one of them puts forward an alternative to cuts and austerity.
Liberal or more anti-working class rubbish?
Labour, Lib Dems and the Tories are debating about how and when to cut; there is little disagreement over the amount that needs cutting. Suddenly the Lib Dems are being promoted as "different", when in fact Vince Cable supports £80 billion of cuts and the party wants to curb the right to strike for public sector workers. I wonder why.
But by having the three parties debate, the media is excluding all other voices. Time and time again representatives from the three main parties and UKIP are interviewed about the need for cuts to please the Bond Markets. Newspapers from the Sun to the Times (or from one Murdoch title to another) run editorials about the need for cuts.
You will not hear one candidate actually saying, "No, we will not cut services". The candidates from the Trade Union and Socialist Coalition have had hardly any coverage, despite them putting out a no cuts message. The so-called debate about the election is actually a media show about about getting us all to accept the need for cuts – whoever wins.
That is why I am standing as the Anticapitalist candidate for Vauxhall to challenge this pro-cut consensus and start talking about aa alternative of striking against the cuts and fighting for socialism. And, as Gill Scott Heron pointed out… "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised"!
Contact me if you can help with the campaign.
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