With the General election less than 50 days away, bizarrely social media is tonight being dominated by the sacking of a man who assaulted someone at work and someone quitting a boy band.  Former deputy prime minister John Prescott, one of Labours most senior figures tonight tweeted “bit torn between joining Top gear or One Direction”.

The recent Scottish referendum saw almost full engagement with over 80% of those eligible to vote doing so. With what could be the most important election in decades looming there seems little evidence of such engagement from the British public.

Today saw the final Prime Ministers questions before the election, one which was destined to be at least one of the leaders last, was on the whole uneventful. The official campaign hits top gear next week with what looks to be a whimper. The main focus of debate in recent weeks has been whether there should be a televised debate. Of course it is clear from the last election that the debates have little if any effect on the result of an election but at least it gives the electorate a chance to hear the candidate’s version of what they would have us believe they might do if elected. Nick Clegg was considered by most to have won the debates last time round but ended up with fewer seats than the party set out with. Clegg has been critical of Prime Minister David Cameron’s refusal to take part in TV debates.

Deputy PM Clegg’s Sheffield Hallam constituency could be the scene of one of the biggest upsets on election night. A recent poll has Labour candidate Oliver Coppard a massive 10 points ahead, although other polls do have the gap at 2 or 3 points. The New Statesman is even running a story on the battle.

Mr Coppard last night told a delegation of Trade Unionists that Clegg has decline repeated offers of hustings and debate, agreeing only to a behind closed doors debate with an audience of school children to answer questions exclusively pre-selected by The Star newspaper, the only media to be allowed in.

The Sheffield Hallam seat that was once occupied by late Tory favourite Sir Irvine Patnick, is the sixth wealthiest in the country, so it would seem unlikely that a Labour candidate could triumph there; but Mr Coppard - born, bred and current resident in the area thinks the voters still appreciate traditional Labour values and won’t be quick to forgive Clegg, who has done little to represent the people of Sheffield in the last 5 years. Clegg lied to the massive student population in the city and has signed off on grossly unfair cuts levelled at Sheffield city council. The infrastructure expenditure in London is £250 per capita while in Sheffield it is less than £3.

Despite this potential huge upset, the main news outlets prefer to focus on whether it appropriate for the leader of the opposition to have a second kitchen. Little wonder then that the electorate seems as disengaged in politics as ever.

No one trusts the Tories to keep their promises on the NHS, but similarly people are dubious as to Labours record on the economy. The conservatives have proved repeatedly that they are on the side of the few at the cost of the many but it is still neck and neck in the polls.

The budget last week saw George Osbourn promise to relax the austerity measures in the last year of the next government but most people are in little doubt that a Tory Government will continue to punish the poorest in society while protecting the richest.

His pension release plans and suggesting that annuities could also be freed up is a blatant attempt to capture the OAP vote. When asked by Andrew Marr recently what the Government plan to do if reckless pensioners decide to blow their money and then come with their hand out for benefits, the Chancellor refused to answer, instead smugly stating that it was a patronising question.

The Tories have relentlessly attacked the Labour party for receiving cash from the trade unions and it is clear that if they win a majority they will try once again to crush the unions, taking with them worker’s rights and making it easier to sack people, pushing more “hard working families” deeper into poverty and onto the dole, wiping out communities and lives in their wake.

So whoever the British public vote for in May, for the sake of 95% of the population let us pray that it is not the Tories or the country will be going in one direction- down the pan!