THE GENERALELECTION ELECTION 2005 ThursdayI Men about the They're the ones who usually ask the questions. This time it's us. Do TV's top political pundits think the election will get us tuning in? Has the election become a bit of a I blame the story. The main reason turn-off? Why should we switch on? for apathy is when voters feel that Andrew Marr (BBC): Because you either the outcome of the election is don't know the result. This election not going to make much difference to depends on how many people them, or they feel they can't make decide to vote. In 2001 we had one much difference to the outcome of of the lowest turnouts in Britain's the election because the result is a democratic history [see panel foregone conclusion. opposite]. This time it could go The best turnout recently was in considerably lower - and if it does 1992, and - guess what - that was a we'll see some very strange results close election. [John Major won a indeed. I talk to a lot of politicians, fourth consecutive Tory victory with and they all say it's weird out there. a 65-seat majority.] Nick Robinson (ITV): I agree. We Robinson: I agree. We shouldn't don't know whether the polls are assume that turnout will go down. right; we don't know how turnout It may not. will affect the result. If Blair is re-elected, the size of his majority If turnout does qo down, will will determine how long he can you be blaming yourselves for stay in office. not getting people excited about Adam Boulton (Sky): One way or the election? another, we're looking at the end of Robinson: No. I'll be sad because an era: Tony Blair has already said I believe in democracy. But it would be that he's going, so it's a question of fantastically self-important whether he goes this week or some to think that our reporting time after that. will determine whether people vote or not. Are politicians or broadcasters to Boulton: I don't think it blame for the apathy that appears would be our failure either. to surround these It's not politics days? our job to sell flj| Marr: I think both sides have dragged politics - we're there to the other down a bit. But the explain it. We want to politicians probably started it back reach out to viewers, but in the 1980s, when they developed it's their choice if they techniques for avoiding direct think it's worth voting or questions. They were told by all not. Professionally, I'm those clever spin doctors that the more worried about a dip thing to do is keep on repeating what in the ratings than I am they want to say, no matter what about a dip in turnout. they're asked. But I think it's fair to Marr: I don't believe in say that we [the media] have from hectoring people to time to time over-reacted. vote, but I do think Boulton: I don't blame either the there is something politicians or the reporters. In a sense, called civic duty. Has the style of political reporting changed to better engage viewers? Robinson: I think you're getting less of what I call "duty broadcasting". Nowadays we try to apply the same standards to an election story as any other. Is it new? Is it important? Is it interesting? There's always a danger that a white, middle-aged bloke in a suit who hangs around politicians appears to be "them" - the MPs - not "us", the viewers. So we try to put ourselves in the viewers' heads. What is the question they want to ask? Boulton: Political editors are now also commentators - we don't take everything the parties do at face value. We try to lift the veil and show people how and why they're being manipulated by the politicians. How have the party spin doctors been behaving? Robinson: I'm happy to say that nobody is shouting at me. I don't know if you two agree, but I do think there has been a change in culture in all the parties in the past few years. Marr: Yes, I think they have realised that being reasonable works better. So the bullying has stopped? Boulton: Yes. But I think that's partly because the three of us are rather more robust than some of our predecessors. I think there was, not so long ago, an era of political editors who basically saw it as their job to repeat what spin doctors said, and therefore it became very effective for spin doctors to whisper in their ears. A final question. How are you going to vote? Marr: I will vote - but I'm not going to say how. Robinson: I always vote. But I'm not going to tell you who for. Boulton: I won't be voting. A political editor who won't be voting! Why not? Boulton: I haven't voted since 1979. David Frost said to me once: "I don't vote because they are all my friends." I wouldn't exactly regard them as my friends [laughs], but personal feelings and feelings about policy do get confused - I find it easier knowing that I can talk to the party leaders without feeling that I'm involved. The three wise men were talking to Vincent Graff It's the biggest live broadcast of 2005 and the planning lasts longer than the campaigning. The man in charge of BBC TV's election night coverage explains what's involved Evenif you're not normally right track, but we've revised some broadcast (OB) cameras. "Every declare early and late. One of my interested in politics, the graphics and tweaked layouts and election has its memorable stories - in colleagues has spent a year checking chances are you'll get camera angles." 1997 it was Michael Portillo losing out town halls and counting centres caught up in the scale, the What won't necessarily be on show his seat; and in 2001 it was Peter so that if we decide to go there we drama and the excitement of general is the scale of the results service Mandelson's "I'm a fighter, not a know the exact camera position and election night. Television has operation. "We have a "stringer" at quitter" speech. We're fine-tuning have permission to be there. He's transformed the results evening into a every constituency count to phone in our plans now as stories develop. clocked up 100 venues so far." spectator sport, and on BBC1David the result. Many come from other "We'll have 55 OBs at a mixture Hundreds of stringers will also Dimbleby anchors an ll-hour-plus BBC departments and some, such as of constituencies, counting centres have video cameras, so if something broadcast. Behind him, an army of Michael Fish, are freelance." and party headquarters. You want exciting happens, tapes can be rushed no fewer than 1,800 people will be The key decision Stephenson faces pictures of the party leaders, big to the nearest newsroom or OB truck. reporting and collating results and, - and the other broadcasters, for that personalities and marginal seats, and Back at TV Centre, building the crucially, delivering the pictures of matter - is where he puts his outside you also want a mixture of seats that studio set is an eight-day operation. the night's big stories. Then there are ten days of rehearsals, "We've been anticipating a May and a day or two off to keep people election for at least nine months," says fresh for the big night. James Stephenson, editor of BBC1 "We have a fairly clear running Election Night. "In fact, as far back order for the first hour or so, and as as March last year, the day after soon as the results start coming in it's I started in the job, we were testing a question of assessing what the story graphics systems with Peter Snow." is and how to tell it," says Stephenson. As the pictures reveal, the His worst nightmare? "A power team had a weekend of failure. That would make life very rehearsals in February in hard." Not least for Peter Snow, a partially built studio, who this year has three trialling ideas and equipment, * swingometers. For plus engaging in a bit of backup there's a "Race to political role play. Downing Street" graphic "It's a vast system of people with computer-generated and computers, not just for the party leaders approaching programme but also feeding the door to Number Ten. into the BBC's election results Everything is in place - service," says Stephenson. "The let the political showcase tests confirmed we were on the begin! Geoff Ellis If politicians were elected on the basis of their TV appeal, Spiffing who'd make the cabinet? Pundit Matthew Norman thinks he knows... image In 1 960, Richard Nixon lost Prime Minister He's a touch at times of crisis, his soft Scottish "cripes" or "gadzooks" is perfect to a tight US election literally by sombre and staccato in front of the burr and old-fashioned courtesy, defuse a grilling from Paxo on the a whisker, his shifty-looking cameras - and therein, paradoxically, which suggest a 1950s rural GP, are latest set of disastrous crime figures. five o'clock shadow gifting to lies Gordon Brown's appeal to an worth their weight in emeralds.