So far the Tories appear to many commentators to be running the slicker campaign. They have a clear narrative and they are backed by good news stories coming out about the economy, which is at the centre of their campaign. Unfortunately the old fashioned endorsement letter by one hundred business leaders was a dated ploy which is not playing well and fools nobody. It was no doubt intended to counter Labour’s ad in the FT. Labour are mounting a powerful challenge, tougher than many expected, but it is more fragmented and they suffer the disadvantage that good economic news is bad for them. But the interesting thing is that none of this affects the opinion polls, the latest of which continue to be neck and neck.
So what does that mean? Could it be that campaigns have little impact as people pay almost no attention to them because they do not believe anything politicians promise? Could it mean that the digital revolution enables voters to bypass politicians to obtain the information they want on the issues which matter to them? Or could it be that this campaign has already gone on too long and it is now turning people off? Or will something galvanise in the last week and point to a clearer outcome as voters finally focus on their own choices?
We will just have to wait and see. In politics a week is a long time, six weeks is an age and anything can happen.