UK elections: Battle of the wives

London: For months now, Sarah Brown has been the most important public relations person in Team Brown. Introducing him at two Labour party conferences, she has tried to humanise the deeply disliked, rather gruff and dour Gordon. She says her husband is her hero.

With his personal ratings shrinking, David Cameron decided it was time to recruit his stylish wife to help him out. She obliged, saying her husband had never let her down in the 18 years she had known him.

"Sam Cameron comes from an extremely posh background. Sarah Brown comes from a comfortable background. Not quite the same thing. Sarah Brown is quite a cerebral.  Samantha is an arts graduate who sees herself as much of a party girl in upbringing. Both the wives trying to say, we know you don't trust our husband but we do and we are normal women like you," said Gary Gibbon, Political Editor, ITV.

In the battle of the wives, every little move, word and of course their attire is closely scrutinised. With Samantha Cameron trying to tone down her posh image, Mrs Brown keeping it middle class, hoping to highlight the difference in backgrounds as a key difference between Labour and the Tories.

While this closely fought political battle for the control of the House of Commons pits Mrs Brown against Mrs Cameron, the two women actually have a lot in common as well. Both are highly successful professionals. Sarah Brown is a polished PR executive, while Samantha is creative director in a luxury stationery company. They've shown total devotion as mothers and wives with both having to go through the personal trauma of losing a child each.

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This trend is quite new to British politics. Even the image conscious Tony Blair didn't get his wife to campaign for him.

Televised debates, wives becoming a very public part of the election campaign are all evidence of a shift in Britain towards the image driven US style presidential election.

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