Why Should I Vote?

Something different for tonight’s posting.

The following is a e-mail which I have sent to the Liberal Democrats hopeful for my area at the upcoming County Council elections.

As soon as I have his response, it will be up here!

Tom,

I'm a disaffected person of an age where recession and depression are words that I thought were of a time before me.  I am of a political persuasion that in a previous time before now, would have me heading towards the polling station and voting Labour - those on my father's side of the family were members of the NUM at the time of the miners' strike, whereas my Uncle, before he joined the Marines, took part in the Seafarers' strike of the late eighties. 
As a teenager, I went to boarding school and saw with my own eyes the class system in

all its warts and all - the way middle-class parents are able to manipulate the system for their own means to the detriment to everyone else is disgusting and puts those of us unfortunate to have come from a different world at such a massive disadvantage. 

This continued after I left school, being left to fend for myself and pay for my college education myself, and because of the school I went to (I went to boarding school, purely because of my speech and language problems) having had no qualifications - meaning getting a job was nigh on impossible. 

So yes, I have had a difficult upbringing, as has most young people from this part of the world.  You no doubt know, that this area that you are wanting to represent includes parts of which are in the lowest 10% per GDP in the country, and yet it is astonishingly in one of the Tories' safest seats. 

Such a contradiction in terms, I think we would both agree!

I have been in the past tempted to vote for the Liberal Democrats in the past, like his fellow Welshmen Lloyd George, my father is a Liberal, of the old-school kind, I find, whereas my views can be describe as Pinko-Liberal.  You can guess the mantra. 

• Pro Gay Marriage and solidarity for those persecuted, whatever their creed or colour at the hands of fascists.
• Pro Europe, however anti-federalist.
• Internationalism, and support for fellow workers throughout the world
• Anti Capitalist, and I admit I could not help but have a wry smile at those anarchists smashing the RBS building during those G20 protests.

What this message is about however is not about me.

It is why I should vote for yourselves on June 4th.  Unlike 75% of the eligible electorate, I have every intention of voting that day, either in a protest vote (i.e spoilt my ballot paper, as my sister intends to) or I hope for a party or someone who I can say to myself I can look back and say, yes I can support him or her.

It is said that people around the country did not vote for Labour in 1997, they voted for Tony Blair - I think it is time that we cut the personality politics once and for all.  It is not like it has done us any good in the intervening 12 years.

Note, that I have not mentioned the sickening scandal involving MPs expenses.  I think that there are some who have done some serious and criminal things.  Obviously, I cannot expect you to comment on that for obvious reasons - it is clear that Labour will get more than a bloodied nose, and so they should.  The Chickens are coming home to roost, something that your man Mr Cable has been saying would happen, for more than I can remember.

I look forward to your response,

I do hope it will not be the bog-standard response…

I’m going to watch the rest of HIGYFY now.

Night, Night

Rob