I stuck that up just to get things going. here’s my brief thoughts as actual work needs doing.

The Tories are doing this to make themselves seem provocative and innovative (Dave’s words, not mine) and presumably, trying to attract a new demographic of voter.

I appreciate the style and the provocative nature and the cajones required to do something like this but i think it may be a combination of a decent message presented with great style but targeted at the wrong people.

The demographic they lack, broadly, is the ’student’ population out there.

To me, effectively insulting them (let’s be honest, this is how it will be perceived) in an attempt to make them think about social responsibility is unlikely to sway their vote Cameron’s way. All it will serve to do is confirm the pre-existing middle-upper class voter’s opinions that there are too many spongers out there and it isn’t this vote that needs winning.

I think this will only serve to ostracise the party from the certain sections of the electorate they are trying their hardest to attract whilst simultaneously confirming the opinions of those voters they already have.

A costly campaign that could cot them more than money!

This was a very quickly typed blog as i’ve got lots on but i hope you get my point:

Cool style to target ‘the kids’ demographic – GOOD!
Message used in the campaign – ‘NOT GOOD’

What do we think?

Perhaps this captures the zeitgeist and the Tories are finally getting ‘down with the kids’!
Although I agree that it is likely to come across as crass and condescending, if their aim was to raise their profile and get people talking about their policies then it could in fact be a work of PR genius!

True, but talking about a party isn’t enough to get people to vote for them, political publicity doesn’t work in the same way – it needs to raise the reputation of the party whilst ‘neutralising’ their public profile to appeal to as many of the electorate as possible whilst they maintain Tory policy.

I agree it may raise their profile and get people talking, but if what is being spoken are words of dissent this is no good thing. I think the saying “no news is bad news” cannot be rigidly applied here.

It strikes me as a lot of good ideas executed poorly and with not enough thought.

This being said, kudos for the innovation and daring stance – it’s nice to see some leftfield campaigning. To take something positive from this – it may encourage other parties to break the mould in the way they publicise themselves and their policy which really is a good thing!

First “hug a hoodie” now “debtors are tossers”.

This first I think succeeded. This I am a little dubious about to say the least.

It seems like a slight bit naive to expect this young debtor demographic to listen just because the word “tosser” has been used, especially when it is effectively a direct insult to them.

A bit too try hard gone wrong I think.

Dreadful! I had thought this was a joke. I’m reliably informated by a (Tory) friend that 1) it is all too real and 2) if one takes a great deal of time/effort to delve into the Tory ‘Debters are Tossers’ website, one can actually find some useful advice for people in debt. But it must be very well hidden. At first glance it just seems to be insulting. Or am I missing something…???

On a wider point, the more uncharitable among us may wish to reflect, momentarily, on the number of people ‘helped’ into debt by the last Conservative government. However, in this season of goodwill, I wouldn’t dream of doing so.