All politicians will spend too much of their winter holidays preparing how they will put their case to the public come the election; I know I will; after the turkey is eaten and the diet has started I will be sitting down and trying to set out the issues I want to fight the campaign on.
Even in a recession it is possible, as the Italian socialist Antonio Gramsci put it, to be “a pessimist because of intelligence, but an optimist because of will”. Despite the economic backdrop, the next election will be won by the party that presents a convincing case for a better future rather than one that boasts about its achievements in the past. As one child said to me on a recent school visit "the past is so old!" He might have had a point - albeit he framed it in a interesting way - mind you he was 11.
Whether it is on climate change, Afghanistan, the economy, schools or hospitals every party must articulate its case for the future. And we must do that locally as well as nationally. There are equally important choices locally that will be influencing how people appraise the parties - particularly in our patch where the local council and the local economy are struggling as they are.
