Petrificus Totalus Lib Demmery: Not so Fast - Possibly

A lot of my Lib Dem friends got rather excited by the news leaked last week that Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe admitted to Attitude magazine's Youth edition that he was most likely going to vote Lib Dem at the next election.

For those of you who were holed up under the stairs at Privet Drive here is what he said:

"I actually rather like Nick Clegg. But ya know, cat's chance in hell. At the next election I will almost certainly vote Lib Dem. If all the people who liked them voted for them you could change politics overnight and we could have a proper three party system."

Some rather interesting comment, especially when you realise that he also said 'David Cameron is barely distinguishable from Tony Blair' and in response to would he like to see Cameron as Prime Minister ' No! No, no, no, no. no!'. As for Gordon he quotes Paul Merton is saying "it's a tragedy that this man has waited all his life to do this job - and now he finds out he can't do it".

As you can gather there actually is a lot of depth of thought in the young star such referencing Daniel Defoe, Martin Niemöller and the following comments on gay education being included in schools.

"There's all this stuff at the moment, which is hateful, about people being up in arms about the idea of gay sex education is schools. Hello!?! Actually for the one or two gay kids in the class, it's fucking vital! It really makes me angry. You're not going to turn the straight kids gay by giving them a sex ed class about how to have gay sex safely! You know. Really. People can catch HIV even after their first time and that's what it's all about; that can be avoided."

And this about the importance of getting out and voting:

"It's so important that young people learn about politics and vote even if it is a protest vote to make a point. Not voting is not a protest."

Of course while that Lib Dem vote comment may have been headline grabbing there is more behind the story and it isn't all good news. The interview runs to 9 columns over 5 pages so there a fair amount of the inner working of Radcliffe's thoughts that are exposed and he seems a rounded, intelligent, thoughtful young man. But following on from giving us his vote at the General Election he says:

"My prediction for the next ten years. The Tories will get in at the next election and will be in for a while. They have to go to the centre to get in, that's how they have to play it, but once they're in they will reveal themselves to be much more right wing that they actually make out - and the left will react to that and we will actually have a proper left wing again"

Attitude: And would you support a proper left wing?

"Yes, yes. I would actually."

Admittedly young Radcliffe happily admits he was too young to experience the euphoria of New Labour in 1997. So he doesn't know a proper left wing being in opposition of in power like some of those slightly older that him (OK double his age) can. So maybe, just maybe where he to experience that he really would realise that the Lib Dem way really is the right way.

Yes my more libertarian brethren may argue with me rotten of fiscal and social policies but to the core we are Liberals where it matters most, somewhere that reading Daniel's word in Attitude I believe he belongs too. But you know what having both sides of the debate in making spending policy I think we get it more often right than either of the extremes.