...and the value of nothing.
Voting Labour or Tory isn't just about tinkering at the margins of tax rates. It's not about an extra few hundred bobbies on the beat. It's not even about basic principles of security at home and abroad.
Any Party can say they will do a bit better than the other on these and many more issues. Manifesto pledges may put clear water between the parties or they may just muddy the pond. And manifesto pledges may turn out a little different in the implementation.
What people will be motivated by is not the current cost of the petrol in the tank but the direction of travel of the vehicle. The reason Labour is not connecting with people is we've stopped talking a language they understand. And when we do talk a language they understand they don't see much difference between us and the rest. Talk about billions spent on the health service, they switch off. Talk about the new facilities at the local hospital, and they point to the Tory/Lib Dem who was campaigning in favour of those changes.
Different managers just manage things differently. Tell a football supporter that when things are not going well they can get a new manager and hey will jump at it. They still support the same club. It's just someone new to run it who may get them promotion.
And that's how people see the country. It will still be the same old, same old. We'll still have a health service and people will worry about my safety. I may have to pay a bit less or a bit more tax, but not much change there. Let's try a new manager and see if we can win the cup.
What we need to do is demonstrate that if people vote Tory, they are not just changing the manager but are switching allegiance to a new club. Tell Chelsea supporters that they would be better off with a new manager and you might get significant support. Tell them the only way for them to win the Champions League is to support Manchester United and they will tell you to sod off.
The bottom line it's about hearts as well as heads. It's about the values of our Government, not just the prices at the checkout.
And the vote this week is stark reminder of the real dividing lines of values and principles.
The divide was clear when it came to the unsuccessful attempt to reduce the time limit for abortion. 83% of Tory MPs wanted to reverse history and reimpose a lower limit on the time allowed for an abortion.
80% of Labour MPs, however, recognised that there are lots of reasons why the 24 week limit should be kept. A late-term abortion may be needed due to the start, or increase, of domestic violence. She may spend the early part of a pregnancy in denial, perhaps following rape, abuse or incest. There may be a late diagnosis of serious or life-threatening illness, in either the foetus or herself. And there are many more reasons why a woman may be more than 20-weeks pregnant before she can access an abortion.
This was a non-whipped issue. MPs voted by their core values, their core principles.
And the Tories overwhelmingly voted for old-fashioned right wing conservatism.
And Labour MPs overwhelmingly voted to defend a woman's right to choose.
Now that's a difference that even football supporters like me can understand. Keep the faith. Keep voting Labour.
