Negative campaigning does work. The 1979 "Labour isn't working" slogan is a perfect example. It captured the mood of disillusionment with the government.
Negativity from the governing party is less successful. The Tory attempts to portray Blair as a nefarious force in the Devil Eyes campaign in 1997 backfired. It is difficult to portray the new man as bad before he has even had a chance to show his true colours.
The Cameron factor certainly seems to be rattling the Labour party. Their first party election broadcast in the local elections was an attack on the new Tory leader, portraying him as a chameleon.
He has only been in the job a few months, hardly enough time for the public to have a fixed view of him. The cartoon image of a chameleon on a bike may have seemed like a good idea on paper. In reality, however, its quite a cute image - I think it works in Cameron's favour. It also makes the Labour party look as if they have nothing to say about local issues.All of this in a council election where they are widely expected to lose swathes of seats and councils.
Cameron does have to be given credit for pushing climate change to the top of the politcal agenda. This week both Gordon Brown and Ming Campbell have given interviews on the environment, making all the right noises about personal responsibility. Brown told us we should turn off our TVs at night and not leave out mobile chargers plugged in. Ming confessed that he will no longer be driving his prized Jaguar.
Cameron also has to be given credit for one-upmanship. He popped up on a Norwegian glacier, looking like a chubby James Bond, being pulled on a sled by huskies. Much better than mobile phone chargers and vintage Jags.
The only question for the new Green Tory is - how did he get to Norway? Not by plane surely ....
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political comment and analysis from Westminster.
