With the dust beginning to settle and the unthinkable notion of a coalition government coming into being, all eyes are set on how Cameron and Clegg are going to pull this off – while not going at each others’ throats, that is.

"You're supposed to smile for the camera, dumbass". Image: guardian.co.uk

And if Cameron is indeed fearful that worst times are yet to come, he’s not hiding it. Take a look at the wordings in his first speech – I wonder if it was written with the sole purpose of curbing expectations and evading responsibilities in the first place. For instance:

And I think the service our country needs right now is to face up to our really big challenges, to confront our problems, to take difficult decisions, to lead people through those difficult decisions, so that together we can reach better times ahead.

One of the tasks that we clearly have is to rebuild trust in our political system. Yes that’s about cleaning up expenses, yes that is about reforming parliament, and yes it is about making sure people are in control – and that the politicians are always their servant and never their masters.

But I believe it is also something else. It is about being honest about what government can achieve. Real change is not what government can do on its own – real change is when everyone pulls together, comes together, works together, where we all exercise our responsibilities to ourselves, to our families, to our communities and to others.

If that didn’t sound hope instilling and upbeat, take a count and see how his speech was dominated by words that paint a picture of depression and urgency:

• “difficult” and “difficult decisions” – 4 matches
• “work” – 6 matches
• “challenge”, “hard” – 4 matches
• “problem” – 3 matches
• “rebuild” – 4 matches
• “stable”, “trust”, “strong” – 9 matches

Of course, it’s not Cameron or Clegg’s fault that the country isn’t in more healthy shape. Not that their parties or voters wished to be caught up in the predicament of a coalition government and a pissed poor economy anyways. It’s just that the rate at which events unfolded and the dramatic marriage of opposing forces gave a surreal air to the entire event – or should I say more “real”, because it clearly exposes how easily and quickly what claimed to be core values and fundamental differences can be set aside and forgotten, when it comes to a power struggle that decides who runs the parliament of a country.

Images of 10 Downing Street always remind me of a particular scene and a particular era. An era that in retrospect started off just as horribly but people were buying into a bubble and thus optimistic and cheerful. Now compare this speech excerpt with Cameron’s and try not to come to the conclusion that one of these speakers were under the influence of certain reality bending substances during the delivery:

“It’s been a great year for British music,” said Blair. “A year of creativity, vitality, energy. British bands storming the charts. British music back once again in its right place, at the top of the world. And at least part of the reason for that has been the inspiration that today’s bands can draw from those that have gone before. Bands in my generation like The Beatles and The Stones and The Kinks. Of a later generation: The Clash, The Smiths, The Stone Roses…”

Even though that was a speech made at the 1996 Brit Awards and not upon taking residence at Downing Street, once can’t help but reflect in awe how the circumstances have deteriorated. Compared to then, UK in the 2010 appears more like a torn apart war zone struggling to maintain its identity. And no-one, not even the guys at the NME, can focus on the music alone and not get distracted by the prevailing cries of distress and desperation.

Tony Blair and The Chief in 1997. Image: dailymail.co.uk