Forget the men in grey suits, the men in sandals are more ruthless

J H Holloway

Mmm. We're all looking two steps ahead now and doing the sums. What's worse for Cameron, Clegg or Huhne? I think the trouble for Lib and Lab is that Middle England has genuinely tilted a few degrees in the last couple of weeks.
It's the end of tax, spend and fail. Step one is to hold back ever soaring taxes, step two to take stock of the chaos and work out a way forward.
If Cameron can stay on track and build a genuine Blair-style 'narrative' for the new age he will win the next election.

The problem for the new Liberal chief is building a story that doesn't involve more tax and spend rather than make much better use of the 600bn in the pot that we have today.

Readers might also divert to the Observer website and Henry Porter's piece on family life and a return to simplicity and the luxury of time spent with children.

The responses surprised me: all much in favour. I think 2007 is a little like 1990 in that the massive changes (globalisation, internet) of the last political period have worn us all out and everybody's look to slow down and back off. Think of the recent reseach about how stressed young children are by the modern world.

In a recent interview, Ralph Lauren said he was tired of buying things and want a rest from it.
I feel the same. Perhaps Cameron was right. Quality of Life is the new mantra.

It will be fascinating to see what the recast Lib Dems can come up with.

Incidentally, I saw one poll the other day that suggested the Lib Dems would have been reduced a two-seat rump under the current conditions, maybe that's what triggered this panic move?

Leogreen

I think a great recourses.