Opinion: Why Lib Dem cold-calls are the worst idea ever

I'll lay it on the line – I normally vote Liberal Democrat; I hate ID cards, I didn't think we should have got into Iraq and even as I get older and set in my ways I still find more often than not that I agree with Britain's third party.

But when a party is so utterly out of touch with the voting populace that they start to believe that a cold call phone call by a machine is an appropriate way of putting them back in the running it makes my blood boil.

I find cold calls infuriating. Every time someone from a mobile phone company rings me up to urge me to trade in my handset I feel my hackles rising and the blood flooding into my face.

Not even human

But when that call is not even by a real human being – which at least gives me the satisfaction of 'explaining' why it is inappropriate to be calling me in my already skimpy home time – I make a silent vow not to buy whatever that company is selling. Ever.

And I'm not alone, a quick poll of the people sat around me (not the most scientific of methods, but I can only imagine it's what happened when Nick Clegg asked his cronies their views on this tin-point scheme) and 100% of us would not just be annoyed by the call, but would actively NOT vote for whichever party subjected us to it.

The Lib Dems have talked about the success of trials in the US – but I don't think I need to tell anyone that this is a VERY different political environment. Maybe it's me being deluded rather than the Lib Dems, but I cannot think of a single person that I know that would be swayed by this method.

Not one

In fact, I'll go further and say this. I have my doubts that any person in the entire UK will receive this phone call and, as a direct result, decide to change their vote to Lib Dem or even consider voting when they formerly were not intending to.

As a tech editor I very rarely deal with politics – apart from privacy and security issues – which I'm normally thankful for.

But this is, to me, is a jaw-droppingly terrible plan. And if they do push on, I genuinely hope whoever came up with it is made to realise just how ridiculous it is.

I actually feel like picking up the entire party and giving them a good shake whilst shouting 'STOP SHOOTING YOURSELVES IN THE FOOT YOU CRETINS' at them.

And should the Lib Dem candidate knock on my door to ask why I'm not voting for them this time, I shall play him a pre-recorded message explaining why.