Watching the General Election with my Feet Up!

As we approach the finishing line of the struggle between right and left, the clash of the egos and the final call to vote, how many of us will be putting our feet up during the closing stages of the forthcoming Election? Gordon Brown, Nick Clegg and David Cameron will most certainly not be relaxing until after May 6th when the voters of Britain decide who will form the next government. As an antidote to windbagging politicians droning on and on and on, uncork a bottle of your finest, take the weight off your legs and relax your feet on a footstool.

The 2010 General Election has just over a week to go before the decision is made about who should be given the keys to 10 Downing Street. This Election campaign
has been just about the most interesting I can remember with no single political party claiming more than about a third of poll support. The current talk is of a "hung parliament" where no one party assumes a clear majority of Members of Parliament. This brings into focus the prospect of a coalition government where "horse trading" and "back alley deals" become order of the day. Alliances are quickly established and bitter rivals are forced together by circumstances. With a reported UK debt over £160 billion, how quickly the personalities of government
come together around a table of consensus will be heavily scrutinised by all the financial markets. Funding an overdraft is never easy but one this size will exercise the great minds (and smaller minds!)of today.

The final television debate on Thursday assumes huge importance. How "presidential" will the candidates appear? Who can look into the camera with total sincerity and connect with the electorate? Which of the three Prime Ministerial candidates can persuade the voter that a tick in the box for him will result in a better Britain? All these questions will be decided on May 7th when either a Labour, Conservative or Liberal Democrat administration (or more likely a combination of any two of these!) will whistle off down the Mall to meet with the Queen. The successful candidate may well have some explaining to do! He will most certainly be in need of a relaxing footstool.

The author is taking a close interest in this General Election campaign as he runs a number of furniture businesses whose future prosperity depends on the right calls being made by whichever government comes to power on May 7th.