"change"

When I leave my office to get some fresh air I can't walk for more than 50 metres without bumping into a photoshopped picture of David Cameron looking angry or a typically nice fluffy statement about how we all need 'change'. So they won the most seats and once they come out of the 45th meeting with the Lib Dems and pay their pret delivery bill they will hopefully have decided how to take things forward.

Below are a few observations on the last 5 weeks from a bloke whose life really won't change dramatically whoever gets elected but nonetheless found the whole thing fascinating.

1. You'll never agree with all of a parties policies

I was occasionally amazed by the assumption that there should be a party that should align themselves exactly with the way you think, act and behave. It's up to the individual to think for themselves about their priorities. People who get angry because they haven't found a party that represents a soul mate who you'd sit up all night chatting to and eating cookies with don't get it.

2. People don't read manifestos. Fact.

OK so we had the odd short you tube friendly film to outline manifestos but we had far too many times during this election when Nick/Dave/Gordan said 'well, if you read our manifesto'. Apart from Nick Robinson and a handful of journalists who's job it is to read them, manifestos (the actual books) are bonfire fuel, the ideas are not. Parties need to rethink how they communicate their core ideas in a way that is actually interesting and engaging to read.

3. Real change doesn't just come from Government, it comes from mobilising and inspiring people

Yes, we all agree that it's not the sole responsibility of Government to improve living standards, community cohesion and the country as a whole but the sentiment attached to 'big society' was very vague. It seemed to imply that if you get out of the way, the community will take ownership and get on with things. The real battle is instead persuading people that 'doing stuff' is rewarding, this is the hard bit however and one I'm not convinced the Tories wanted to approach head on. I for one, know I should be 'doing' more, whether it be helping other people or helping myself but the barriers in the way are not Government imposed but usually personal. It's going to take some seriously radical policies to get me to start planting geraniums in Battersea park for the good of the community. Show me some kind of tangible benefit and I'll be more inclined.

4. The value is not in the word 'change' but in the actual 'change' you're proposing and how that will affect the voter in the real world

To me the conservatives 'Change' communication said 'we need something different, these guys have been crap for you'. It was intertwined so heavily into everything they did that it didn't allow a great deal of time to actually explain what the change was. This won over the suburban Tory faithful who don't need any persuading when it comes to Labours incompetency but did it do enough to inspire those floating voters who perhaps voted labour or Lib Dem for the first time during the Blair era? well not enough to win a majority. Change isn't inherently good in itself, (the BNP also wanted change), it's the actual change that's going to win over middle Britain that matters in the long term.