The next election could be called as early as March 2010 and ahead of the local Council ones if e.g. the economy has improved and the prime minister considers the timing particularly propitious.
Already the Conservative Party has unveiled MyConservatives.com on which David Cameron is effectively shown launching his campaign and talking about how the internet which is changing society and our lives, can also change politics. MyConservatives.com (also click on Useful Links on our website) provides a campaigning platform for candidates and on particular issues, as well as a means of attracting small on-line donations rather in the »Obama way ».
A number of key issues are emerging:
– To the fore is the Economy and the critical need to fill the holes in the government budget, whilst having a credible plan to reduce overall debt to manageable proportions and satisfy the financial markets.
– Closely related is protection of public services and the need to care for e.g. schools, hospitals and the unemployed, whilst still balancing the books for an electorate more used to gain today and pain for tomorrow.
Since the prime minister has already introduced the issue of « class » into the above mix, it is important to have a positive values-based message e.g. of reform, to avoid being labelled the hard-hearted party of « cuts in public services » by Labour. Viewed from our position in France, the British NHS could benefit from reform by the perhaps more affordable introduction of a wider and complementary network of private, not-for-profit insurers such as the French Mutuels, a similar model also being explored by the Democrats for their new Health Bill in the United States.
On the issue of « class » stereotyping and despite a broader spectrum of society apparently participating in the minor sport of foxhunting, it might be better not to waste political capital and risk alienating potential Conservative voters from the centre ground, in promising to repeal the imperfect anti-foxhunting act, given the other and certainly more formidable challenges that will face any newly elected government.
The Democrats in the US are struggling a bit with their new Health Bill and particularly the proposed government-run insurance option which is likely to be abandoned. Such government intervention in the health insurance market includes a tax on high cost private insurance plans and the fixing of a minium level of not less than 80-85% of the cost of an insurance premium to pay for actual health benefits.The House has also proposed a nationwide insurance exchange to be regulated by the federal government where consumers could shop for private insurance coverage. A government-run scheme is then more likely to provide a lower cost but (for some critics) market distorting option. The proposed legislation is aimed at providing affordability for the middle classes, accountability for the insurance companies and accessability for many more people in the US to quality, affordable health care, according to the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.