The Tories might... might... lose. Oh.

Guido comments on a doomsday scenario for the Tories - one that sees them narrowly losing the next election to Labour, based around the failure to offer tax cuts and the unprecedented economic climate and builds up a completely unreal version of reality - one where Gordon Brown actually appears to be competent.

There is some credibility to the scenario, I think. Labour are highly unlikely to be able to truly claw back the resounding lead the Tories have consistently built up. However, if they are, then it will be down the current economic climate. The Tories increasingly appear to be floundering when it comes to the economic crisis, whilst Labour project this image of being far more capable and decisive than they actually are.

It remains deeply unlikely that the electorate will return that glowering, gurning git to Number 10 when he finally allows us to go to the polls. But for the first time in the best part of a year, we have to entertain the prospect that Cameron might not be the Blair of the Tory party, but rather the Kinnock. And as such, I've actually started to think about how I would feel about another five years of Labour after the next election.

Truth be known, I don't think I really care. My preference is - marginally - for Labour to lose and for the papers to bang on about a new dawn under Cameron. Nu Labour is tired and old, broken and corrupt. It would take a Tory government a good few years before they are able to get themselves in a similar situation. After all, last time out, it took them about 13 years before they became dog tired as a government.

But, to quote the Smiths, what difference does it make? It makes none... Deep down, it really means nothing. Tory, Labour; there is going to be no real change if Gordo or Hug a Husky becomes Prime Minister. Labour have no new ideas, and are purely a reactive government now. Every policy, every move they make is simply down to try to keep their head above water in the national opinion polls. On the flipside, there is the problem that the Tories have boxed themselves so far into a corner as they desperately try not to be the nasty party. For fuck's sake, we actually have a situation where both Labour and the Liberal Democrats actually seem to be offering more radical that the Tories. The Tories are still battle scarred by 1997, 2001 and 2005. They are afraid of being bold, they are terrified of being radical. At the very time when they should be pitching the case for genuine conservatism in this country, they are trying to be a centrist, friendly party. And as a result are coming across as shallow, vacuous party of no real worth on close analysis.

The choice at the next election will be neglible, which is why the Tories are so vulnerable to Labour u-turns and gimmicks. I'd rather the Tories won than Labour, but as a Libertarian who wants radical change for this country, I don't care enough to support either party.