top tips for Tuesday (and Thursday)

This is an unusual Top Tips post in that it's not a blog of blogs, but rather two reccomendations.

Firstly, please vote. Staying at home affects the poll just as much as voting - for example, the last Government was elected not just by 36% of voters, but by 22% of everybody who was eligible to vote. By putting your cross in the square, you at least express your choice in favour of whichever party you want to; and, in this election that has no precendent...who knows?

Secondly, however, if you look at the sidebar on this blog you might work out what I'm going to say next: please vote Conservative. For David Cameron, George Osbourne, Theresa May and the rest of the Shadow Cabinet; but also for your local candidate. For example, Nick Hillman in Cambridge, an educator who has a better grasp of the needs and aspiration of ordinary folk than the ideologues opposing him; and in South Cambs, Jim Paice, who, as Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Rural Affairs, has represented the interests of the farmers, farm-workers and small businesses that Labour has neglected.

Put it this way. In 1997, Tony Blair was swept to power on the strength of five promises on class sizes, judicial reforms, NHS red tape, benefit reforms and restraint on government spending reforms that lie broken and neglected, trampled by the old socialist holy cows.

David Cameron is offering not a load of promises to be thrown away like a shopping list, but a contract with Britain which, if not adhered to, will end in the same way breaching a contract of employment would end for any of us.

Let's all think very carefully about the way in which we'll exercise our choice on Thursday May 6.