Carlton - Television for Government...

What is political conviction and where does it come from? Most people would say it is the way people are brought up and what they see as they are growing up to make their country a better place to live. Which is true to a point, as that shapes a person's view on life. Over time though a person's political feelings can change. But what about if you get the top job? Where exactly do you get your style of how to run your government?

Some may say, it comes from what has gone before and learning from other's mistakes or that does seem what it used to be, as in for the greater good. It can be said that Saatchi and Saatchi had a major influence on the style and presentation of Margaret Thatcher's election campaign in 1979, though even before when she became leader of the Tory Party in 1975, that influence was slowly moving into place.

That maybe all well and good, but its since 1997 and the election of Tony Blair as Prime Minister that we have seen some taking a business style to politics and using their experiences in their previous experiences, in his case of being a lawyer, that he took into government. In law making, the legal case was used, but not always that was the case. I am speaking more of the style that a lawyer uses in court and in serving a client by using legalese in what ever policy was put forward. In some cases, that worked and in others this spectacularly went wrong. Meaning a mish-mash of policy decisions and the government of that time right upto the 2010 General Election.

Because of the result of that election which left no party in overall control and the need for government, that the coaltion government which is now in power. David Cameron, who is the Prime Minister was the Head of PR at Carlton Television, though it seems that some of the coaltion's ideas and style have come from his days working there. 

For example, the Big Society was launched with the government looking for people to give up their time to help projects by volunteering. Though this does seem similar to ITV's year 200 project 'The Day of Promise' where people were encouraged to give up their time to volunteer for community projects. It can be said that with the policies which have been put forward are like Carlton Television itself in their franchise form, lots of show but no substance. This has never been more the case during the past week when the row over VAT on hot food and also the comments made by Francis Maude to store petrol have seen to be attention grabbing statements without nothing behind it, making sure farce has become real and better then anything Anthony Jay and Jonathan Lynn could have written for Jim Hacker himself. Seemingly it is ironic that Gold has commissioned a new version of Yes, Prime Minister in the same week that this has all happened. So maybe life has become art after all as the business way becomes the normal way of dealing in politics.