Voter apathy is biggest challenge facing Blair
As Tony Blair finally named the day, Political Editor Zoe Hughes analyses the coming 30 days - and whether any of us will take any notice.
You could almost hear a sigh of relief across the entire country yesterday as Tony Blair finally announced what everybody already knew - that the General Election would take place on May 5.
It's possibly the worst-kept secret ever, but it does at least mark a welcome end to the phoney campaigns that have dominated politics for the past six months.
Never before has a General Election had such a long run-in period, with every political party geared up since February to launch their campaigns at a moment's notice.
It was, of course, a deliberate tactic by Mr Blair. No Prime Minister wants to be boxed into a corner when it comes to asking the nation to go to the polls. However, it still leaves a month of intensive campaigning for voters to wade through.
Voter apathy and disillusionment is the biggest challenge to Tony Blair's historic bid for a third term in office.
It's part of the reason why he and the other parties are promising an election like never before - a fun-filled election, an election filled with interactive sessions with the public and an election meeting real people.
Whether that means a repeat of the Sharon Storer incident - when she berated the Prime Minister about her husband's cancer care - or John Prescott punching an egg-throwing voter, remains to be seen, but this campaign is meant to build in a higher level of spontaneous confrontation than every before. People need to be excited by the election, and Mr Blair's acceptance that things have to change is a telling admission of the threat Labour faces.
And things are no different for the Tories and the Liberal Democrats.
Michael Howard has eschewed the battle bus in favour of a helicopter.
Meanwhile Charles Kennedy has been happily challenging the way leaders are expected to behave at Westminster - and proving to be a hit with voters. But will voter interest hold out for four weeks?
Few pundits believe things will really change and that the 05/05/05 election will be very much business as usual. With turnout expected to be lower than in 2001 - the lowest poll since this country became a full democracy by extending the vote to women - let's hope not.
