Britain's 2010 election campaign kicked off yesterday after Gordon Brown confirmed what everyone had known for months: the election will be on 6 May.
This worst-kept secret reflected a growing trend in British politics. Everything is trailed in advance. Ministers appear on Radio 4's Today programme to talk about something they'll be announcing later. Newspapers trail speeches, including the ludicrous expression 'is expected to say', as if they've read the PM's mind. And budget measures are openly discussed - a candour that forced Hugh Dalton to resign as chancellor in 1947.
This predictability matters, as it feeds the general apathy about politics. A general election is a great moment in the life of the nation: people died fighting for the right to vote. Yet millions greeted yesterday's official election announcement with indifference, rather than excitement. There are many reasons for that, but the total lack of surprise must have played a part. Let's hope election night is more of an event.
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