Every time, which is not often I must admit, Theresa May comes out with a policy proposal, for example, when she proposed investing in new grammar schools or increasing VAT for self-employed (via Phillip Hammond), she is forced to back track. So, in the end, she has decided that running a content-free election campaign (see The Economist) is far less risky.  The strategy, page 1 in Lynton Crosby’s playbook, relies on three components: empty slogans like ‘stable and strong’ or ‘red, white and blue Brexit’ interspersed with old fashion racism and anti-EU nationalism; weak or even fully aligned media (I honestly wonder if the Daily Mail editor and Rupert Murdoch have spare keys for 10 Downing Street); and the systematic demolition, which requires friendly on-demand media, of any attempt by the opposition to put forward policy proposals. Demolition that doesn’t target the merit of the proposals – how can a Tory party oppose more police men and women on the street? – but through character assassination. Ask Ed Miliband, Jeremy Corbyn and, as per yesterday, Diane Abbott who did a dozen of interviews on Labour’s police proposal without fault but got one wrong and this is all we heard in the media, including the BBC.