Dave the Chameleon

ANYONE watching tonight's Labour Party local election broadcast will be able to meet Dave the Chameleon for the first time.

It seems that Labour is so worried at the possibility of the Tories doing well in next month's local elections that it has resorted to lampooning David Cameron as a cartoon character who keeps changing his colour.

Labour is also launching a website featuring the character at www.davethechameleon.com.

Labour deputy leader John Prescott says: "This image shows exactly what David Cameron represents - a political chameleon who says whatever he thinks his audience wants to hear.

"We keep seeing different versions of him - Liberal Cameron, New Labour Cameron, Green Cameron. He may change his colour at will, flip-flopping from one position to another, but underneath he is Conservative to the core."

Although there is an air of desperation behind the new Labour campaign, there is also a serious point which the Tories have to answer.

Just why is their leader, in the middle of a battle for votes in crucial elections all over England, but in particualr London, jetting off to Norway for three days to watch a glacier melt?

Yes, global warming is a problem, and all parties have to have policies which affect the future of the planet. But few people will see the connection between a melting glacier and which party is best at organising dustbin collections. I certainly don't.