How are you going to decide who to vote for? Will you carefully read all the parties major policies, visit your local MP's election office, talk to key members of your community and garner their thoughts?
Or will you go with family tradition, take into account the way you were brought up, stay true to your roots and vote the way your parents and their parents before them voted.?
Maybe you are trying to read the political section of the paper every day, but somehow always skip to the celebrity gossip and 'whats on TV' section, after a couple of paragraphs. You might be might trying to watch Newsnight and Question time, but nod off after five minutes (and a couple of glasses of wine). Perhaps you have attempted to have a chat with your local candidate outside the farmers market on a Saturday morning, but got waylaid by the local gossip over a latte.
Well, maybe you are like quite a large number of people and simply don't have the time or the inclination to get really involved in politics. You would love to sit for hours discussing the Liberal Democrats thoughts on a united Europe, or the Conservatives views on inheritance tax, but you've got work to do/dinner to make/children to nag. So just how are you going to decide who to vote for?
Well, call me simplistic, but I have a sure fire way of choosing the next Prime minister. It doesn't involve, reading anything or watching Jeremy Paxman on tv, or even talking to anyone about the difference between the parties. Its really really quite simple – just pick the best looking!
Of course this doesn't quite work at a local level, otherwise I would be voting Ukip, and I might be shallow, but I'm not stupid! You have to think big picture. Who's face do you want to see, day after day, staring up at you from the front of the paper, who's voice to do you want to hear on a regular basis?
Remember last time, we had an old man (ok quite a distinguished old man, but old and stuffy, nevertheless) a slightly tubby (and I can say this because I'm one too) ginger candidate,(which is never a great look on a man) and the charismatic and actually quite good looking Tony Blair. It was a no brainier, the others didn't stand a chance. Charles Kennedy could have told us he had invented a way for men to give birth, eliminated them from the work place and told us only women would be allowed to run the country, and the result would have been the same. Sorry Chaz, but we just didn't fancy you!
What it really comes down to is, taking a little look at all three and thinking, which one is the closest to Hugh Grant in Love Actually? (although I have a sneaking suspicion he may have been a tory!) Simple, whats not like?
My money's on Nick Clegg! Shallow, moi?