I’ve just emerged from a rather lively discussion with Peter Hitchens of the Mail on Sunday at Dulwich College, the old stomping ground of — among others — P G Wodehouse.
Our own contributions were fairly unsurprising: Peter argued that the Tories might be finished because they were too liberal left; I argued they might be finished because they weren’t liberal left enough.
I was reminded of his rather bigger debate, against his brother Christopher, at Conway Hall in Red Lion Square in 1999, when the latter started by saying that one difference between the pair was: “I never worry that the Conservative Party is not right-wing enough — don’t lose a wink on that one.”
Anyway, much more surprising was the response from the audience of receptive, engaged and intelligent sixth-formers. Not only did they seem enthused by the TV debates and genuinely curious about the impending results of this election — including the possible hung parliament — but when Peter asked for a straw poll of how they might vote (and some will), they were split pretty evenly three ways between the Tories, Labour and the Liberal Democrats.
In short, the pupils — several of whom nodded at the prospect of Vince Cable as chancellor — broadly reflected the public at large as revealed by the current polls. Now, that would surely not have been the case 30 years ago at such a well-to-do private school. Indeed, It may not even have been the case 30 days ago.
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