From Brown to Blue

With a British election likely to be little more than six months away, attention has already turned towards the policies of a potentially incumbent Conservative government (although Gordon Brown may still remain hopeful of re-election given that poles suggest Labour are only six points behind the Conservatives). But what will be the impact for sport in the UK of a Cameron victory? From the quasi-autonomous interventionism of Brown's (and Blair's) government, we would move to what? More of the same? A dynamic new age for sport characterised by a completely new model and ideology? Or a return to the laissez faire principles of Thatcher and her predecessors? If the latter really is the case, surely there won't be an accompanying return to the right-wing loathing of sport that was displayed by sport? Factor in the downturn and the hole in government finances that has emerged under Brown, and will this mean that Tory ideology might result in the re-emergence of philanthropy in sport? And how might Cameron seek to support and promote the proliferating commercial sector in sport? What about grassroots, community and non-commercial sport? Interesting too will be the whole issue of how Cameron might address the rise and rise of EU sport, notably the interventionist model which the sport competence of the Lisbon Treaty effectively advocates? While we are here too, come on Liberal Democrats, tell us what sport means to you - surely you are far too silent on this matter?