I’m not going to tell you who to vote for, as we may not share the same thoughts and beliefs. I’d rather you didn’t vote UKIP, as I firmly believe Farage is a complete idiot and couldn’t lead a pack of Brownies, but that’s as far as my political sway is prepared to go. I do however want to urge you to get out and vote, it is your democratic right and change happens.
When the Coalition Government came into power the atmosphere changed in this country over night. The tide turned as we all waited with bated breath for the impact of the spending review and the country was yanked into a period of austerity by the ConDems.
Working in the public sector, the effects of the austerity measures hit hard, and vulnerable people were robbed of vital services more or less overnight. Necessary? I’m not convinced, as I’m sure there were other pots of money that could have been streamlined. Did it all have the desired effect on the economy? I’m not sure it did, as poor economic forecast after another was reported in the news.
What I learned from that experience, was the impact politics has, on people, on lives. It’s not about whether you like Cameron, Miliband or Clegg (we’ve already decided we don’t like Farage), forget the personalities, find out what they stand for and think about how their policies could affect your life.
Politics ripples through all our lives from the obvious things like how much tax you will pay on goods, beer, food or luxury items. It affects your terms and conditions at work, what your parental leave looks like, what your contributions will be, and the laws that govern how your employer treats you.
It gives you the chance to have your voice heard and fight for local issues. It can impact the number of potholes in your roads, the speed that ambulances get to you and the reliability of public transport in your area. North East Devolution and Scottish independence are contentious issues that you can vote either for or against, whilst voting also gives you the chance to stand up against racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, ableism and ageism. It affects everyone, no matter who you are or where you’re from.
It’s about your kids education, your local hospitals (if you still have one), the care your grandparents will receive, the amount of police on the streets tackling violent and hate crimes. It’s about reducing the number of families that live in poverty, having sufficient protection for children at risk and adequate service to support those in crisis.
It’s about whatever is important to you and your family. Beyond that it’s your community, and what will make a difference in sustaining it, whether it’s more housing, better job opportunities, increasing school places. Whatever it is, find out who supports what will make your life better and get out there and vote for it. There is a point and change does happen, voting matters this #generalelection.