Warsi, tactical voting & car crashes

Just listened to that interview with Baroness Warsi on the Today program being portrayed in some areas of the blogosphere as a car crash. Unless you were here, unless you were out delivering and unless you were out knocking on doors, you really don't have a right to complain we weren't vigorous enough she tells right wing critics.

Can't see where the words car crash come in, nor that such a call to action should in any way denigrate committed party campaigners. The truth is that this woman is probably the most combative and credible Conservative chairman for many years and deserves support.

What is needed is some refreshing honesty in the party's advice to their voters. Accepting that there is no electoral pact between the LibDem's and their Coalition partners, but as the third party in this by-election and therefore extremely unlikely to be in a position to win the constituency outright, the Tory chairman should have at least publicly discussed the possibility of Conservatives voting tactically for the LibDems as the only party able to defeat Labour.

There may come a time when the AV system provides just such a mechanism for valuing second and even third preferences in our voting system. Until then, such advice should be given.