Cameron is taking on Brown

Nothing much is certain in British politics these days, but assuming that the next general election will pit Gordon Brown against David Cameron, we can be sure of one thing: its result will be a referendum on rebranding. Can the slick young pretender convince the cynics out there that the Conservatives are no longer a party of posh toffs with nasty views on immigration and labour markets? Can the dour old Scot loosen up a bit and stop making the electorate feel so very uncomfortable? Even with a couple of years to go (Brown being increasingly less likely to call a snap election with Labour as much in the doldrums as it is), they’re already at it furiously: Gordon with his intimate interviews and glitterati dinner parties; Dave (whose efforts to rebrand are necessarily more about his party as a whole) with his solar panels and natty webcam, his hoodie love and public support of the NHS.