Fear in the mainstream parties; desperation in the electorate

David Cameron called yesterday on voters in next month's English local elections to support any party other than the far-Right British National Party.

The Conservative leader accused the BNP of "thriving on hatred" and wanting to set one race against another.

"I hope nobody votes for the BNP. I would rather people voted for any other party," Mr Cameron told Sky News.

His remarks reflect growing alarm among mainstream parties that the BNP is poised to make gains on May 4 when almost 23 million voters in London and in borough and metropolitan councils go to the polls.

A YouGov survey for The Daily Telegraph today suggests that millions of voters are not enamoured of any of the main parties.

Fewer than one voter in five wants the Conservatives to control their local council. The same small proportion wants to see Labour in power locally. Still fewer fancy the Liberal Democrats. Cameron calls on voters to back anyone but the BNP

Please note: That the mainstream parties - Labour, Conservative, and Liberal - are becoming ever more fearful and desperate at the prospect of significant gains by the British National Party (BNP) is obvious. When people like Cameron call out for voters to vote for any party but the BNP, something is seriously wrong. Cameron is the second to raise the spectre of such gains in less than a week.

If the mainstream parties are fearful, then you can bet your bottom dollar that the British electorate is both fearful and desperate: fearful of what the mainstream parties have turned this 'Sceptered Isle' into, and desperate to find someone with enough courage to fix the problem.

The fact of the matter is clear and simple: The mainstream parties are guilty of a dereliction of duty. If the British electorate becomes desperate enough to look for radical and extreme solutions, the main parties have only themselves to blame.

It is high time that politicians of all hues - red, blue, and orange - do a bit of serious contemplation. It is also high time that they stop the spin and find their backbone. Without backbone, there will be no solution. Beware: The electorate will tolerate this nonsense no longer!

By the way, just in case you didn't know who Cameron is, he is the increasingly unconvincing leader of the Conservative Party! The man who used to think of himself as a "media tart"!

Mark Alexander