Tony Blair.
It goes without saying. He's to blame for most things, actually.
Not content with leading us into dead end wars in Iraq an Afghanistan, our ex prime minister is blinding Westminster in a legacy of guff – managerial politics.
Blair regularly argues, in lieu of any firm principles of his own, that under the 'ideological wrapping' of modern party politics there are practical problems that smart, rational individuals (read Tony Blair) will naturally work through to reach similar solutions, independent of ideology. Why bother with democracy at all, you might wonder... Run a battery of IQ tests, team building exercises and be done. We've picked the next cabinet.
Today, Cameron and Clegg, who mimic Blair down to every emphatic hand gesture, have painted themselves into a corner. These hollow project managers are stunned by UKIP's surprise coup and do not know how to respond. There simply isn't time to consult with enough focus groups. Blair floated along unchallenged during the heady days of the property bubble, but times have changed.
The notion that citizens want politicians who aim at the middle, don’t offend anybody, and run the country like a branch of Comet is being tested to destruction throughout Europe, as demonstrated by a revival of opinionated, rather obnoxious and often extremely unpleasant political parties and movements – the 5 Star Movement in Italy, the fascist Rising Dawn in Greece and our very own UKIP.
While pretty much every derogatory thing you can say about these groups is true, it is also the case that the only effective long term response is to offer an alternative utopia. Leaders of mainstream parties need to be prepared to stand for something, and against something (like the banking industry) even when it is uncomfortable for them to do so.
As Harry Leslie Smith, a 90 year old veteran puts it "Is Cameron's Britain what we fought for in the war?" A country of miserly immigration laws, bankers bonuses, environmental degradation and 60 hour weeks.
This should be Ed Miliband's time to shine. Why doesn't he?