David Cameron must tackle the optimism deficit

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[/audioplayer]There is an optimism deficit in British politics. Politicians seem incapable of making a positive argument for anything, including the country itself. The British government’s case in the Scottish independence referendum has been almost entirely negative. Those looking for an uplifting defence of the United Kingdom have been left sorely disappointed as the government has instead stuck to technocratic arguments about why Scotland would be worse off on its own.

This failure north of the border reflects a broader failure to persuade people that Britain has a bright future. Fifty four per cent of Britons think that young people’s lives will be worse than those of their parents’ generation according to a recent Ipsos/Mori poll. Only one in five say they will be better. This majority pessimism helps explain why Ukip is doing so well.