Fraser’s right: the Tories’ new poster campaign really is superb. Highlighting the damage that Gordon Brown’s debt binge will wreak on future generations is an important – and resonant – cause. And the emotive image and slogan that the Tories’ ad men have paired together should tap successfully into the parental voting bloc.
But therein also lies a problem. Campaigns about debt are all too often geared at those with – or those with hope of having – children. As I argued in the Telegraph a few weeks ago, this is a missed opportunity. Among those most imperilled by Brown’s economic management are the 20-somethings who aren’t yet thinking about kids – they’re too busy thinking about the tricky labour market; the impossible housing ladder; the loans and credit card debts they’re burdened with; and the high taxes they face in the working world. And things aren’t getting better for them. Thanks to Brown’s addiction to debt, they’re getting worse.
Thing is, politicians aren’t really speaking out to this group – nor offering them real policy solutions, despite the fact that they will be the drivers of the post-recession economy. Sure, you could say that 20-somethings are an apathetic bunch; that politicians aren’t going to reach out to people that may not vote for them. But that’s the point: appeal to young people and they’ll have a reason to vote. Barack Obama’s Presidential campaign demonstrated the power of a youth-friendly agenda that met 20-somethings on their home ground – the Internet. Come election day, youth participation and turnout soared, and helped propel Obama across the finishing line.
Of course, Obama may have a “cool factor” that Dave et al lack. But with Brown supplying the Tories with a message, and the internet supplying them with a medium, it would be negligent of them not to give it a go.
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