Those of us who can still remember earlier days of this Labour government, will recall that the Conservative party had some pretty radical ideas about transforming family law when they were in opposition before the last general election. These included a promise to abolish CAFCASS (though I don’t think they ever said exactly what they’d replace it with!).

The personalities involved seemed to have a really good grip on the problems with our current system. I particularly remember Theresa May, Tim Loughton and Dominic Grieve all appeared to understand the issues.

As a previous long-term Labour voter I was fully prepared to vote Conservative for the first time ever. This wasn’t even so much to do with the policies they were promoting, but simply with the fact that their heads and hearts seemed to be in the right place and they came across as being very determined to see that something was going to be done on their watch.

Of course, Labour won another term at the last election so we have had another five years of spin, dishonesty and policy making ruled by political correctness rather than facts or evidence-based analysis.

Like many people in the equal parenting movement, I had been hoping that the Tories would re-institute their previous sensible (and really quite radical) line on family law issues for this general election.

Sadly, I think we are going to be disappointed again. I get the feeling that the political apparatchik in the party have declared family law to be a hot potato they dare not touch for fear of threatening the women’s vote. On the contrary, David Cameron seems interested only in finding opportunities to promote women as victims where ever he can. They seem terrified of tackling any issue which might be portrayed as being negatively disposed towards women in any way whatsoever.

The worse part is that they are probably right!

What a scrunched-up, politically correct and un-brave society we have become. No wonder this country is in such a mess, with the two main parties being so terrified of being different from each other that all they are prepared to think about is how to appeal to – and swing voting patterns – in marginal seats.

Even so, I must admit the Tories still offer the only [small] hope of ridding us of this Labour government under whom – I’m convinced – there will be absolutely no changes for the better in family law now or in the future.