In a Political wilderness

I've been reading what David Cameron has to say about his view of politics with interest over the last few weeks. I am not a Conservative and regardless of what Mr Cameron is saying I realise that the Tory party will be made up of the same folk that were there before he became leader. Yet I'm very attracted by some of the things he has to say. The only thing is ofcourse is that I wonder how much of it is just yer usual political manipulation.

I expected much more from Mr Blair's time in government and that's the truth. I really did. I suspect that some of the momentum that might have been there has been lost because of the lack of political interest in this country over the last few years. It had become cool to say that you weren't interested in politics.

If he really has an interest in relieving some of the effects of poverty and has a real interest in the effects of global warming and has a political social agenda that reflects these kind of interests then ofcourse I'm going to be watching.

I just don't think that the present government is particularly socially astute and I think they should be.

I'm also aware because of my interest in politics in two different countries that right wing doesn't necessarily have to mean an illiberal attitude, though ofcourse ultra right wing does. I don't consider the present government here as interested enough in social issues to think of them as particularly left wing. And by left wing I mean conventionaly socialist. If I voted for them again as things stand now I'd be voting Labour simply to vote Labour not because I have any confidence that this government is going to suddenly become interested in the issues I think of as socially pressing.

Mr Cameron has come along and is talking about some of the things that I think of as issues I'd've liked to see come from the present Labour Party.

I'm torn in two ways. One, I know that a right wing party can be quite liberal and I'm wondering if there's going to be a change towards a more central view in this country. Possibly with some more conservative supporters going over to the Labour Party. You know a bit like the Church of England lot who left for Catholicism at the mention of women priests. Though I also know that a liberal stance can be diminished in certain circumstances.

But two, I'm aware that a lot of the party will still be made up of people with the attitudes that made me stay away from supporting them. I have no love for the Conservative Party as it has been. But then, I'm a disillusioned Labour supporter now too. Ofcourse I'm willing to hold on for a bit longer but I must admit that I'm waivering because Mr Cameron surely has come along knowing exactly what to say to attract people like me with social consciences who have become disillusioned with things as they stand at the present.

I'm aware that we probably are going to lose freedoms in this country at least for a while as things are being sorted out but I haven't been happy about some of the things that have been happening regarding freedom of expression recently. And again I'm a bit lost as to what to do. I don't support these attitudes and I look over at Mr Cameron who on the face of it is supporting some of my ideals. But then I think over my attitudes to the Tory Party based on my experience and I wonder if the loss of freedom of expression that has been displayed would be even worse if the Conservative Party got into power knowing that it still has a lot of the people in the party that I distrusted before.

Maybe Mr Cameron is exactly what is needed to get the Labour Party back on its feet again. They surely haven't had any serious opposition for a long time and certainly not an opposition that is making socially concerned noises as the present leader of the Tories is. I suppose what is going to happen next might depend on whether Mr Cameron has more social knowledge than the Cabinet and the politcal nuance, with his party, to come up with ideas that sound or even are workable in the direction he's hinted he wants to go.