To try and gauge the opinion of printers we've been running an online poll for the past few weeks on printweek.com, asking you which political party you think will offer the most to the print industry.
At the time of writing, of the 400 votes, 44% of you said the Conservatives offered the most to the industry, compared to 29% Labour and 17% Liberal Democrats.
If this poll were to be translated into actual seats in Parliament, it would result in a landslide victory for the Conservatives, who would secure 382 seats (56 more than they need to win) compared to 211 for the Labour Party and 30 for the Lib Dems (no wonder they're so keen on proportional representation).
The print sector clearly feels that the current Labour government has let it down and that the Conservatives will offer more support to business, in terms of less red tape, lower corporation taxes, etc.
But, before the true blues among you get over excited, these results, unsurprisingly, fly in the face of all of the general polls – the BBC's ‘poll of polls' suggests 34% Conservative; 29% Labour and 28% Lib Dems – but the PrintWeek poll vividly illustrates the depth of feeling in the industry.
However, if the general polls, as is likely, mirror more closely the actual election results, then we're going to end up with a hung parliament - arguably the worst of all possible scenarios.
The reality is that in order to ensure the economy, business and, of course, the print industry, continue on the road to recovery, however tortuous it is, then we need strong political leadership with a singular vision.
The alternative hardly bears thinking about: toothless and meandering government where political brinkmanship and posturing dictate policy.
The inevitable result would be an even more protracted recovery, or worse still the dreaded double-dip recession. So, here's hoping that, come Friday 7 May (today), whatever your political leanings, we're not stuck with a nil-nil draw that not only fails to live up to expectations, but also constricts future growth for print.
Darryl Danielli is editor of PrintWeek
