It’s been two years since I sat down with 30 potential Conservative voters for BBC2’s Newsnight and asked them whom they’d like to follow into the next election. Their answer was nearly unanimous: the heretofore unknown and obscure David Cameron. And it’s been a year since I sat down with 30 potential Labour voters and asked whom they wanted to follow Tony Blair. Their answer: the colourful and avuncular John Reid. Apparently the party wasn’t listening.
A few days ago, with a new Prime Minister approaching his 100th day, I once again started a Newsnight conversation with the elusive but essential swing voters to ask whether it was time for a change (yes) and time for a snap election (perhaps). What surprised me most of all was that the group seems to think the time is now . . . for Gordon Brown.
‘Give the man a chance,’ was the refrain I heard over and over again.
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