John Hipwood casts his eye over the election campaign so far

Big Government versus the Big Society – that’s the Big Choice facing the British people as they contemplate two days of manifesto launches by Labour and the Conservatives.

Yesterday’s Tory launch was a Big Event at a Big Venue – the imposing Battersea Power Station, which has dominated the skyline on the south bank of the Thames but has failed to generate anything other than argument and indecision about its future since it closed in 1983.

The symbolism can be interpreted in two ways: an old hulk unable to decide where its future lies or a handsome brute, revitalised and with an exciting future.

A pig flew over the power station on the famous Pink Floyd album cover in 1977, and critics will believe that Mr Cameron’s invitation to the British people to join the Tories will result in a “pigs might fly” response.

The Tory leader derides this reaction, insisting “there is a vast untapped well of social enterprise just waiting for a government to set it free”.

But can he convince people that they can get involved in running their own schools, in changing the way their local area is policed, in keeping alive their local post offices and even buying the village pub?

A Big Moment will face voters in three weeks. It’s not yet clear whether they are ready to buy into the Tory leader’s Big Society, but he could get some TV viewers onside tomorrow.

Mr Cameron showed that the three TV debates could work very well for him.

His speech at the manifesto launch was OK and covered the waterfront of the document, but it was when he started answering questions from reporters that he came alive.

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Today it was Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats’ turn to impress, but can the 43-year-old convince the public that he’s got the inner strength and maybe even become a cabinet minister in a minority administration?

Mr Clegg is a personable young man. He’s good company and can turn his conversation to anything you want to talk about. In short, he’s about as normal as any politician can be.

That, of course, does not mean he is the man who can take the Lib Dems on to another level in Parliament.

He will be encouraged, however, by a poll in today’s Times which shows that a majority of voters hope for a hung parliament.