02 May 2005

From the Editor…

Welcome to the New Statesman website. Whether you are a new reader or an existing one - online or via the magazine - I hope you'll enjoy the great writing, fresh ideas and provocative debate that make the New Statesman Britain's award-winning current affairs weekly

Jason Cowley, Editor, New Statesman

Cover story

Could the future be yellow?

2005 election - It is not only the former Labour MP Brian Sedgemore who is defecting to the Lib Dems. So are vast numbers of NS readers. The Lib Dems have a clear lead in our poll of 1,000 readers and, with the Greens, have more than half the votes. Yet most voted Labour in the last election. Introduction

By Peter Wilby

Features

The reckoning

By John Kampfner

Election 2005: the bogeyman - MPs are ready to oust the PM if he tries to brazen it out after a big victory. If they don't, they fear, he will do to their party what Thatcher did to hers, and send it into terminal decline. John Kampfner reports

Apathetic and proud

By Zoe Williams

2005 Election: the crunch - Abstaining can be a very fine thing, writes Zoe Williams, but actually I've decided I'm going to vote after all

The secret life of Labour voters

By Hester Lacey

The polls tell us they are out there in their millions - so why is it so hard to find anyone who will say loud and proud that they are voting Labour? Hester Lacey goes on a hunt in Dorset

I keep quiet about it in Muswell Hill

By Brian Cathcart

The polls tell us they are out there in their millions - so why is it so hard to find anyone who will say loud and proud that they are voting Labour? Brian Cathcart corners one in Muswell Hill

'Voters seem to prefer their leaders a tad dishonest'

By Richard Reeves

Election: Issue of the week - It's no use the opposition parties raising trust as an issue. People think that all politicians are fibbers anyway

Up and up with red balloons

By Ed Balls

Election - John Kampfner meets Brown's man Ed Balls, and finds him respectful of Blair but wary of babies

How our writers will vote

Never have NS contributors been in such agony. Labour, the Lib Dems and the Undecideds jostle for the lead

Dear Doctor Ballot . . .

By Charles Nevin

Suffering from election stress and strain? Don't worry, the New Statesman campaign doctor is here to help

Regulars

New Statesman Leader

Whatever you do, make sure Howard fails

Mark Thomas - assesses the threat of banner-waving

By Mark Thomas

It is now an offence to "spoil the visual aspect" of Parliament Square. Which is legal speak for telling people to clear off and take away their banners about the war

Competition

Win vouchers to spend in any Tesco store

Culture

The beauty myth

By Nigel Spivey

Why do we idealise the human figure? We are biologically driven to exaggerate bodily areas that we value, argues the classical art specialist Nigel Spivey