Is the worst over for Cameron?

The last few months have been pretty torrid for David Cameron.  It all began with the grammars school row and its lowest point was probably two weeks ago when an opinion poll gave Gordon Brown a 10% lead.  Along the way we have had the museums charging row and unexpectedly big defeats in two parliamentary by-elections.  A majority of Tory members no longer expect Mr Cameron to be Prime Minister after the next General Election.

But is the worst over for Mr Cameron?  There are reasons for hope.

First of all, there is a real possibility that Mr Cameron may soon be able to present himself as 'comeback Cameron'. The bad opinion polls of recent times are unlikely to get worse.  Over the next two weeks four new surveys from the main pollsters are expected.  If those polls show an eroded Labour lead the Tories can claim that the momentum is with them and Brown will fear an early election.

Second, there is now much more balance in Project Cameron. The party is talking about immigration again with David Davis taking the lead.  George Osborne is signalling that he really means to cut taxes - probably inheritance tax - as and when growth allows.  And the party is reasserting its Euroscepticism.  William Hague led the referendum push through the summer months and David Cameron has accused Gordon Brown of arrogance over the issue in an article for today's Sun.

Thirdly, Gordon Brown's problems are mounting.  On Friday we highlighted some of those problems.  Biggest of them all are the related challenges of lawlessness and social breakdown.  On Thursday ConservativeHome urged the Conservative leader to put crime at the heart of the next General Election campaign.  The party has certainly come together over recent days with former leaders Iain Duncan Smith and Michael Howard joining the current team to ruthlessly expose Labour's criminal record.  At 2pm today David Cameron, David Davis and Nick Herbert will, at a press event, launch: ‘It’s Time to Fight Back – how a Conservative Government would tackle Britain’s crime crisis.’  ConservativeHome will be at that launch and will blog an immediate report.

None of this is to say that the Tories are out of the woods.  Beneath the headline opinion polls Gordon Brown enjoys significant leads on such measures as who is trusted to be Prime Minister.  I'm also worried about the Goldsmith-Gummer report's likely endorsement of green taxation.  It will probably be necessary to annouce immediate offsetting tax reliefs close to the time of publication.  But let's worry about those issues on another day.  There's a new mettle in the Tory leadership at the moment.  It hasn't arrived a moment too soon.

Comments

[James Maskell]

The perss conference today will be a rehash of past speeches. Herbert hjas already reported back and it si policy now to have commissioners fighting for votes in elections. The three dimensional speech will be repeated.

Sounds like a desperate attempt to grab some political positives here.

Osborne may be signalling, but its not convincing enough to the foot soldiers in the constituencies who understand spin and pledge avoidance when they see it. If he believes it, then he needs to come out and say he actually welcomes the Forsyth Report instead of ignoring it and to advocate for some of the measures. All this dilly-dallying isnt helping us firm up a good picture of ourselves.

[Stand Up Throw Up]

James is right...its panic stations at Camp Cameron. Everything including the kitchen sink is being thrown in to get the "core vote" back on side as its now quite obvious that non-Conservatives are perfectly happy to vote NuLibLab. Whether the core vote will respond having been ignored and insulted over the past 20 months is quite another question.

[banboris]

no

[Tony Makara]

David Cameron has kept a steady head while many in the party have chosen to panic over Gordon Browns transient bounce. What I sense is that all the pieces of the policy jigsaw are starting to come together and the public are starting to see what a future Consevative government will mean. I like the idea of 'Time to fight back' that will register with many people who have had enough of social breakdown and want to see action rather than rhetoric.

[James Maskell]

My apologies for my last post. Clearly its far too early to be posting here as my appalling English shows...

Regarding immigration, we dont seem to be making much of the fact that the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights questioned the legality of the Government's plans on immigration...

[Richard Woolley]

I agree that things are unlikely to get any better for Gordon Brown. The 'Brown bounce' is unlikely to last. I wouldn't be surprised if Brown's lead were wiped out in the polls in 6 months time. As Matthew Parris has argued, Brown's weaknesses still remain and these will become more apparent as time goes on. Of course he's had a good start, prime ministers usually do but it doesn't always last.
Cameron would wipe out Brown's lead easily if he argued the case for tax cuts and put more emphasis on the economy.
The British public would be extremely foolish to give Labour a full fourth term lest they want to live in an Orwellian nightmare state.

[support the strivers]

Yes, thankfully, I think this is right - the momentum is with DC.

As part of his newly balanced ticket, let's focus on the "strivers" ie those who work hard and try to do the best for their families.

We must prioritise this group. It deserves and desperately needs tax breaks - as opposed to the regressive nonsense that is increased green taxation - to keep afloat and make it workwhile to work.

[malcolm]

Brilliant post @9.34 banboris,rarely if ever on this blog have I seen such insightful analysis and wonderful prose!
I hope you're right Tim.I think your third point is key. Today for example Brown is criticised in the Daily Mail's leader column over the EU Constitution and then a big story inside on Brown 'caving in ' to the Unions over pay. That wouldn't have happened a month ago.

[strapworld]

stand up throw up...get back into the brown bunker. He needs someone to pick up his bitten nails off the floor! What utter nonsense. You and your type live in a balloon!

Cameron is on the way UP and Comrade Brown has no idea what to do. He has resorted to type. Whenever there is a decision to be made he will talk and talk and talk with his 'friends' in Bunker One and not come out and face the music.

Ask him just how much money, he promised to the flood regions, has actually got there?

He is FRIT to use a word used by a great prime minister!

[Moral minority]

The answer is NO. At the 16% in the polls, the Lib Dems would lose three quarters of their seats. Turkeys don't vote for Christmas and Ming will be gone soon. They will pick a charismatic successor such as Huhne or Clegg. At that point, the Lib Dems will climb above 20% at Cameron's expense.

Do you remember the Cameroons statement that they expected Conservative support to fall below 30% during the modernisation process? There is now a real chance that they will deliver support below 30% but, contrary to their Baldrick cunning plan, at a general election in the autumn or spring.

Wake up and smell the coffee!

[Mountjoy]

There was all that talk about a crisis for Mr Cameron a few weeks ago, and now the Brown Bounce (which was full of hot air anyway), has deflated. Messrs Cameron and Davis were brilliant at the weekend in their response to social breakdown and gun crime; whereas Brown, Jacqui Smith et al look tired and ineffectual.

[James Maskell]

I dont think you can call the bounce deflated. Its the summer recess so its natural that people turn off from politics leading to whoever speaks loudest getting a point or two in the polls. We need to wait till the Conference season to see if the bounce really has stalled. I think we are taking it for granted that Brown's honeymoon is over. Im fairly sure that Brown will have something to announce as soon as Parliament resumes business. Labour is waiting for us to make mistakes, which we have done this summer.

[Stand Up Throw Up]

Brown bounce deflated??? Yesterday's poll puts the NuLab headline figure just 1% down on previous - well within the margin of error - even the excellent UK Polling Report says 250 seats would be the height of our ambition at the next election while 220ish looks much more likely.
At this rate Blackpool looks like the Witney Windbag's last conference as party leader.

[James Maskell]

BBC report on the "mini manifesto" to be published today. Sounds like a rehash of old speeches and announcements. Its effectively threading them together to take advantage of the high priority the broken society has become since the death of Rhys Jones. Its sad that it requires the murder of an 11-year old to cause this reaction by the Tories...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6966352.stm

[ceidwadwyr]

Seems like Andy Coulson is earning his wedge. Reading the Indys leader last week about 'Anarchy in the UK' made me think that the Left is starting to get rattled. More bad news on the economy and we can have 'em on the ropes.

[CCHQ Spy]

That poll, Stand Up Throw Up, was taken before the events in Liverpool shook the nation.

[simon]

Personally, i don't think the 'worst' is over for DC. I await each pronouncement with my hands over my eyes fearing ANOTHER PC dirge or complete balls-up. What makes the 'situation' over DC's competence more galling is that I know he is capable of so much better. He needs to ditch the PC-ism, and start talking bluntly (think Australian) about the appalling state of the country under Labour. If conference is a disaster then things will get much worse: for DC's overall public perception- and the Party as a whole. I suspect if Labour win the next GE with a reduced majority, in will come PR and perpetual 'liberal' coalition government. If you think things are bad now....

[Happy Tory]

Things are getting better for us. The worst is over - provided nobody's ego compells them to reopen old wounds. We just need a coherent picture to be woven out of the various themes in the policy groups. We need to be clearer in our critique of what has gone wrong in Britain, and repeat it again and again and again. At about the point when we are sure that people must be getting bored of our messages, they'll probably just be starting to register. So we've got to start soon, as there may not be much time.

[strapworld]

This modern day Labour Party, who according to the unelected Prime Minister Brown will 'listen to the people' yet will not allow the people a say in how this great country of ours will be governed! Now that is Arrogance with a capital A!

But their way of 'listening to the people'is to spend all day in Bunker One going over all the blogs and attempting to put their spin on anything they consider worrying!

The childish response from some idiot that calls him/herself 'stand up throw up'(which in itself is an indication of their social habits!) tries to manipulate debate by falsehoods.

School holidays will soon be over and youngsters such as 'stand up throw up' will be back in their comprehensives!

Grow Up!

[Andrew Ian Dodge]

I believe the expression is "clutching at straws" but considering how well Davey boy has been doing of late I am not surprised. I don't think Brown's bounce is any way over.

It is encouraging to see Cameron & Co figuring out that driving away their base is a bad idea. But then again Cameron is weak on the EU...there is the little problem of his broken promises over the EPP.

[Stand Up Throw Up]

G'day straponworld...sorry to have rattled your cage but down here on the frontline in SE London...(no bunker for me thank you)..it's pretty grim - doorstep reaction from Tory voters is at best courteous at worst dismissive. The common line being why have we ditched all the best tunes:

Grammar schools - "delusional"
Low taxation/smaller state - "sharing the proceeds etc..."
Law & order - "Hug a hoodie".

There does appear to be a belated attempt from the Witney Windbag to rectify this but confusion now reigns...people now don't know where we stand. Not a satisfactory state of affairs just nine weeks before a possible election.

[Tony Makara]

"The worst is over - provided nobody's ego compells them to reopen old wounds"

Happy Tory, yes, everyone who wants to see a Conservative government now needs to be very thoughful about what they say and how it may be interpreted by the media. A united front must be presented at all times.

Mountjoy, yes, I agree that David and the team were excellent over the last few days. Hope they keep the momentum up. Labour have been blasted out of the news. Great stuff.

[Justin Hinchcliffe]

We need to hold our nerve and be patient. We all knew that there would be a 'Brown bounce'. The real question is, for long will it continue? Personally, and based on absolutely sod all, I would think it will last for six months - until late January. That's why, if I were Brown, I'd call a snap election. If we're still 10% behind in the polls and Ming is replaced by Clegg by February/March, then we're in serious trouble. If, on the other hand, a recession kicks in and Ming stays on as leader, then we should lead by 10%. Time will tell, but, for now, calm down.

[Graham D'Amiral]

I think David Cameron has been absolutely right to focus on crime and the NHS recently and there is poll evidence that suggests this is the right strategy. ICM anticipating a general election next year compared this months polling with that in 1996. On crime in 1996 Labour led by 16 points today there is a 10 point Conservative lead. On the NHS in 1996 the Conservatives had a 48 point lead as the most likely party to worsen the state of the NHS, today labour have a 9 point lead as representing the greatest threat to the NHS.

[Yet Another Anon]

At the 16% in the polls, the Lib Dems would lose three quarters of their seats.
Depends on the distribution of the 3 main parties votes - on 16% they could be almost wiped out or even hold close to their current number of seats, in 1997 their vote fell and they got double the number of seats they had had in 1992; in 2001 their percentage vote increased and they only gained 6 seats; in 2005 their percentage and total vote increased and they only got a further 10 seats.

[Conservative Man]

So our big idea for tax cuts seems to be getting rid of inheritance tax. Good, great even. But reading a bit into this, it seems we will then make inheritable assets liable to capital gains. Now call me a cynic, but this does not really offer anyone very much at all, and if we think that people will not notice, we are kidding ourselves.

Politicians have a problem, and that is the growing cynicism that affects the whole political spectrum. Crowing about our tax cutting while keeping a large degree of revenue neutrality may make some fiscal sense, but it score no political points.

Bite the bullet, reduce government expenditure and use the proceeds to cut taxes.

[Ted]

Conservative Man - read a bit further and the family home (the main asset) is exempt from capital gains.

[Simon Denis]

Your opening remarks show that the modernising tendency has - for now - realised the error of its ways. No doubt apologists will continue to say that DC has successfully "decontaminated the brand", but the sad fact is that had the tories kept up the pressure first mounted by Michael Howard; had they treated the 05 election result as the step up that it was; had they shown a little courage and self belief there would be no Brown bounce. Labour would have been well and truly on the ropes. Instead we had a good deal of irrelevant, modish nonsense about the climate; betrayal over education and timidity over tax. We can perhaps congratulate ourselves that Brown has got about as much ability to bounce as a granite boulder. He is a dour, soviet style, socialist incompetent with a good line in self righteous bunkum. Perhaps very soon with crime and Europe knocking at his door, he will find himself in free fall. This only goes to show that another anti-modernising view has been vindicated: oppositions don't win, governments lose. The art is to keep up the war of attrition until events turn against them. It was the hard pounding of Foch and Haig which defeated the Kaiser, not Churchill's fancy schemes in the Eastern Med. Similarly, it is the loyal, trudging activists who will ultimately do for Labour, not the fancy boy Dave or his adoring acolytes.

[Tony Makara]

'Social Breakdown' is a policy that really resonates with people. People are really angry about the way our streets have literally been taken over by anti-social elements. If we can free our police from paperwork and get them involved in a Giuliani style crackdown that will close down the effect end of the problem. The cause however will take longer to resolve but Mr Cameron is certainly thinking along the right lines. Family and community life must be restored.

[Stephen Tolkinghorne]

"Brilliant post @9.34 banboris"

Why should he say more if he doesn't have to. Fact is that Cameron can't get back core-supporters, as he's already revealed himself for what he is: the usual Tory leader, who sells out the British public to the whims of the egalitarian, neo-Marxist chattering classes.

There is no coming back for Cameron, or the Tories.

[malcolm]

I was joking Stephen! Dear banboris's brief post is nevetheless is far better than yours

[Stephen Tolkinghorne]

"I was joking Stephen! Dear banboris's brief post is nevetheless is far better than yours"

Yeah, I managed to work that one out, Malcolm. You're right, banboris's brief post is better than mine.

Funny how you had to respond to that one word of his 'though with bitter sarcasm. Having trouble accepting people have different views to you and are able to express them freely on here ? Of course you are.

Some things never change.

[Stephen Tolkinghorne]

"I was joking Stephen! Dear banboris's brief post is nevetheless is far better than yours"

Yeah, I managed to work that one out, Malcolm. You're right, banboris's brief post is better than mine.

Funny how you had to respond to that one word of his 'though with bitter sarcasm. Having trouble accepting people have different views to you and are able to express them freely on here ? Of course you are.

Some things never change.

[Stephen Tolkinghorne]

"I was joking Stephen! Dear banboris's brief post is nevetheless is far better than yours"

Yeah, I managed to work that one out, Malcolm. You're right, banboris's brief post is better than mine.

Funny how you had to respond to that one word of his 'though with bitter sarcasm. Having trouble accepting people have different views to you and are able to express them freely on here ? Of course you are.

Some things never change.

[Stephen Tolkinghorne]

"I was joking Stephen! Dear banboris's brief post is nevetheless is far better than yours"

Yeah, I managed to work that one out, Malcolm. You're right, banboris's brief post is better than mine.

Funny how you had to respond to that one word of his 'though with bitter sarcasm. Having trouble accepting people have different views to you and are able to express them freely on here ? Of course you are.

Some things never change.

[EML]

You head-bangers not happy with days and days of carping on about crime and how horrible this country is?

Cameron can do nothing to please some of you.

[Traditional Tory]

Why don't we just call it a 'relaunch' and have done with it?

Cameroons can navel-gaze as much as they like. It will not alter the fact that Cameron is an empty suit with something that passes for 'style' and very little substance.

This was the concern of clearheaded Conservatives long before the Cameron Bounce finally ran out of steam.

It's even more relevant now.

[Sam Wright]

At a time where Britain is facing high gun crime, Cameron lately is reinforcing his limp wristed wishy washy liberal reputation.

The latest proposal - wait for it - to get tough on video games. Coming on top of the really tough 'lets delay their driving license'. Yes that will shake up the voters

[Mountjoy]

Of course the Brown Bounce is deflating. On his blog John Redwood gives some clear reasons why Brown’s poll rating is slipping and why he will not go for a snap poll. I agree with this analysis, and it does not bode well for the future of the Brown Government if it is entangled in so many messes already.

[Traditional Tory]

to get tough on video games

Yes. after his usual evasiveness on Breakfast TV, he finally came out with that stunning flagship policy .

I see he's picked up a nice cough from somewhere. Shades of IDS...

[Lord Cashcroft]

After the Brown Bounce comes the Cameron crash.......

[Traditional Tory]

After the Brown Bounce comes the Cameron crash.......

Lol!! Great title for one of those violent video games he's obsessed with.

Cameron, Osborne and a bunch of lookalike decoys ride pushbikes in convoy to Parliament Square. You the player, armed with a bazooka, are detailed to 'take out' the genuine reprobates while sparing the innocent doubles.

Could be a bestseller!

[Tony Makara]

I'd like Mr Cameron to look at the current classification of videos. Several times I've bought videos on the subject of twentieth century history and although these videos were classed as 'E' for exempt they featured vicious acts of violence including beheadings, people being hanged and shot in the head. Images of mangled corpses and so on. Although these images do not bother me assuch it is nontheless a worry that a child could legally buy such videos.

[Old Hack]

I'm worried there's a degree of wishful thinking in the hope that the worst is over for DC & Team.

We've got a pretty clear take on the way Brown will play this - he's going to deploy policy and governmental 'reform' to outflank and rebut the Conservative charge. He's a sober statesman who offers steady and responsible leadership, yada yada yada.

If Brown does not go in September/October then he risks giving away a clear honeymoon advantage and handing the Tories further time to recover. On the other hand he also gives his own team time to work up a budget and potentially make progress on withdrawal from Iraq.

There is still a lot of ground for us to cover as a party. Whilst Brown's problems may be mounting his core credibility as Prime Minister is still largely intact. We should be grown-up enough to acknowledge that and address both the causes and consequences without clutching at the straws offered by the Daily Mail.

We are going to have to work hard and work smart to gain the upper hand. Policies and presentation are still far from perfect and I fear that we are still too populist in our approach in some areas whilst afraid to confront Labour on the key battlefields of taxation and public services.

To win a General Election you simply cannot rely on the other guy fouling up and/or protest votes. You have to present yourself as a credible and competent alternative government. Incumbency is a powerful weapon and needs convincing arguments to displace.

We've made some progress but there is still a heck of a lot still to do.

[jorgen]

You mean it is more quiet here at CamHome? Many of us are just waiting for the next election. Maybe a real Conservative Party can raise from the ashes after the election.

[Traditional Tory]

You mean it is more quiet here at CamHome? Many of us are just waiting for the next election.

I suspect many of them are on holiday.

Let's hope that - like me - they have chosen to stay in the UK.

[Mr Angry]

There is some serious wishful thinking going on on this thread. Labour are still way ahead in the polls, far enough for CCHQ to be creating a false October General Election panic in order to try to distract attention from Cameron's travails and also in a feeble attempt to create unity and rally the extremely disheartened membership.

Some of you really do need to get out more and try banging on some doors and talking to actual voters. If you did then you would be as worried about the future of both our party and our country as I am. The always doomed to failure strategy of trying to out lib the LibDems and pinch their votes has been proven by real world elections not to work and has seriously alienated large numbers of our core vote, who do actually matter you know. As things stand we are in for another 5 years of Labour and their authoritarian, oppressive destruction of Britain.

[jorgen]

"There is some serious wishful thinking going on on this thread."

I thought you knew that the Cameroonians' motto (and the Conservative MPs that are still not firing Cameron) is: "The future looks promising as long as we stay in denial".

[Michael Davidson]

No - the worst bit will come at the next general election.

Banning video games? What the hell is he thinking? He's just gone on about 'nanny-state' Labour and how he believes in less state interference and more individual freedom and then he comes up with this nonsense.

Criminals should be in prison Dave - not banned from driving or banned from playing the PS3. Dire.

[Matt Wright]

Interesting that as soon as the party starts to make headway again, the usual headbangers who wish the party ill are out in force posting ever more desperately. Whatever their motives they are clearly happy to ensure we have Labour back in and are not happy that the party is actually talking about the core issues they claim they wanted DC to talk about!

[Michael Davidson]

Banning video games is not something we should be talking about Matt and it is that story more than anything else Cameron said today that has made the headlines.

Interesting how the 'Roons think all is forgiven after 1 day of policy talk. It won't make any difference. Cameron has already sank this ship.

[Matt Wright]

I was in the perhaps unfortunate position of being exposed to the media all day and a whole range of messages came across about our law & order mini-manifesto of which banning video games was a small part. I watched, heard and read Cameron, Davis and Herbert say in various reports throught the day how they would put more police on the beat, provide more prison places, stop early release etc etc (all sounded clearly like "prisoners should be in prison" as you put it). You seem desperate to portray a negative misrepresentation of the position and one which seems strangely in tune with that which Labour are keen to advance.

[Michael Davidson]

Pathetic Matt. If there are people here who are Labour trolls then they're more likely to be those pretending to be 'Roons like 'Carry on Cleo' and yourself who know that Cameron has lost us the election already.

What were the main stories on BBC, ITV or Sky? Cameron certainly wasn't. Your average viewer wouldn't have seen any of his proposals - but the one that's been highlighted most (because its the most controversial) is the video games ban.

Stop diverting attention from Cameron's failures. It's the 'Roons who will quite happily watch us lose the next GE and claim 'oh well, we'll win the next one'.

[Matt Wright]

Was in the unusual position of being able to watch, read and listen to reports all day and Cameron, Davis and Herbert got a lot of clear strong ideas across. It seemed to me, taking in all the stuff I was exposed to, that the video ban stuff was a small part of the overall message. On top of the messages in the last few days, I think we have begun to get a coherent message across on an important area. I hope to see more if we are to press home the point properly. I don't give a toss whether you call me a Roon or whatever silly term you want to use, I am simply reporting the facts as I saw them today and will continue to say what I feel to be the case,

Matt

[Mr Angry]

Matt you are of course absolutely right to continue to say what you feel to be the case. So could you please then also accept that those who perhaps don't agree with your take on Cameron are also just saying what they feel to be the case and are equally entitled to do so.

[Traditional Tory]

I watched, heard and read Cameron

Is this cruel and unusual form of torture part of the new made-on-the-hoof, jump-on-the-bandwagon law and order mood-music?

There was nothing on Ceefax about this manufactured 'story' last night and nothing on the radio newscasts I picked up earlier. I gather there is to be some coverage in today's papers.

I've warned before about the dangers of political obsessives becoming wrapped up in their own anoraks. Ultra-Roon Matt Wright proves my point to perfection.

[Neil Walton]

Too early to say but it is largely in David's hands as to how he is portrayed n the media.
I would be very surprised if Gordon Brown felt anything but contempt for the Tories so the only help from him will be a major government blunder.
I think that the bigegst worry for David will be the party and anyone going off message in a big way.

[SOCA]

Several times I've bought videos on the subject of twentieth century history and although these videos were classed as 'E' for exempt they featured vicious acts of violence including beheadings, people being hanged and shot in the head.

We have been watching you for some time Tony Makara and your fascination with Jihadist video material.....expect a visit

[TomTom]

Cameron should fear the return of Charles Kennedy

[IRJMilne]

I agree with the last post. A Kennedy return would be difficult for him.

[Frankland Macdonald Wood]

If any of you think things are getting better or we stand a chance of winning the next election you have some serious thinking and analysis to do. If after all these years of an awful government, we are not streets ahead in the polls it is a truly devastating comment on the lack of leadership and of real conservative policy. An early thatcherite programme would have us 15 points ahead of FailedLab, but as it is with useless opposition from LibDems and Tories they actually look electable again. This party has only itself to blame for wallowing about in a morasse of complete bloody nonsense most of the time, coupled with a failure to oppose virtually anything with any vigour or analytic purpose. To have supported NewLab over Iraq was a crime against the nation for which we will pay a significantly higher penalty than Newlab and in a way deservedly so, as we were what is now laughingly known as the 'Opposition'. Opposition to what and when, one may ask. What a bunch of useless deadbeats.

[Ken Stevens]

Tony Makara | August 28,14:30

"... videos on the subject of twentieth century history ...featured vicious acts of violence including beheadings, people being hanged and shot in the head. Images of mangled corpses and so on. ...a worry that a child could legally buy such videos."

I think that is indeed a worry in respect of traumatising a child through seeing life's brutal realities. My main fear is game videos that detach such violence from reality. A recent TV advert for such a game depicted the user operating controls so as to bring a weapon viciously down on someone's head, whereafter the victim gets up. That, I suggest, anaesthetizes kids against the reality of such action, i.e. death or long term disability, so that an otherwise respectable kid perhaps get a little taken aback when finding himself up on a murder charge when 'all' he did was kick someone in the head. He would have done better to look at the historical videos instead!