Is there a general election in the offing?

I'd say yes as we learnt today:

1. that Communities Secretary John Denham is to announce a plan to pump millions of pounds into predominantly white areas to help improve the education of young people, end benefit dependency and cut off support for far-right political groups (for which you can read the BNP who are taking votes from Labour). We are told that the move is partly in response to growing evidence that white boys are doing worse than any other cultural group in the education system, of course the main reason is to try and shore up the working class white vote (if there is such a thing).

2. Home Secretary Alan Johnson has accused the police of having the 'ludicrous and ridiculous' mindset that dealing with loutish behaviour is not their job. Apparently he is no longer prepared to tolerate police not responding to families besieged by louts. I wonder what has brought about this change of mind at the Home Office. 12 years of being soft on crime and soft on the causes of crime are meant to be erased from our memories by one speech are they?


So will anyone fall for these eye-catching initiatives? Or will most people see them for what they are; pre-election rhetoric that means absolutely nothing other than "Please vote Labour".