What are We Missing While the Coalition Allegedly Argues?

Media diversion tactics a-hoy.

The Liberal Democrats complain vigourously about misrepresentation of their coalition part in the press. Scathing attacks across all papers are damaging electoral prospects nationwide,while the Conservatives are portrayed as paragons of virtue by the right wing press.

RUmours started at the beginning of the month with Downing Street apparently being "discontent" with Lib Dem Press Strategies.

Then (good ol') Vince launched a vitriolic attack on Cameron's extremist inciting speech.

So called "cabinet tensions" play into delighted media who talk of coalition splits, bust-ups and dilemmmas.

Strategies

All in all, it's a very clever strategy for both parties.

They can be seen to disagree without offending their core votes too much.

This has never been clearer than today's rise to internships (see my post on this.

Clegg proclaims traditional Lib Dem Views of social liberalism, supporting social mobility, challenging social divide and still promoting the aspirational status of the middle classes. Ticks most left wing voters', free market or not, boxes.

Cameron announces his attitude is "relaxed" towards internships, maintaining conservative values of maintaining traditional values of networking, retaining class separation and hierachial institution. Ticking those bozes of entropic tradionalism and right wing establishmentarianism.

The fundemental differences between the parties is demonstrated, no one gets offended and no one gets (too) attacked.

Much better than when Andy Coulson was in charge.

Diversion Tactics

So while Parliament is in recess, we are presented with an image of a coalition in turmoil, each party straining to maintain their individuality to their voters in time for the local elections, and, indeed, for the electoral reform referendum.

But what are we missing?

Well, while parliament is in recess, we are sidelined into a debate about the strength and potential longevity of the coalition.

This neatly diverts us from anything Milliband (reserved to paragraphs 5 and 6 in most news articles now anyway) may have to say. Reducing any effect Labour may hope to have on parliamentary process, and, indeed, on the council elections.

It also, quietly, distracts us from the ongoing NHS saga.

The discourse over the future of the NHS has escalated to such a point the government has been forced to "take a pause". However, such a pause can be ignored, and legislation slowly progressed, when the press is occupied with far more pressing, and news worthy stories such as Kate Middleton's knickers and the coalition chances over the next four years.

Such insidious behaviour could have come from a Yes Minister sketch, where by bad news is hidden behind bigger headlines.

As the joke goes, the best day to announce a tax increase is on the anniversary of Princess Diana's death.

Convinient distraction is one thing, but diversion tactics that remove a democratic process in one of the country's institutions is quite another.