Days Like These

In fifteen minutes the polling stations across the UK open. Every party is anxious and even the one which leads the poll is trying hard to shake off the claim of being complacent. Meanwhile the prospect of the hung parliament is still in the air. Needless to say, this national election is very exciting.

Yesterday, after taking in my daughter to her nursery, I met a Mum and asked whether she would vote. “Yes, I’ll vote Tories,” she said confidently. “And it ‘s because….” I prompted, followed by her brisk answer, “Because this country needs to change. The Tories are harsh and they’d do little to the needy [people] but they’ll get the country in control”. Sounds familiar. “There should be no one comes in [into the UK]. Labour’s made people with benefits have more money than us who pay all the taxes,” she continued, her voice rising. I sensed an utter disappointment as a result of the incumbent party policies on immigration and spending in the last thirteen years. “If they’ve got to work, they have to. I’ve worked my butt off”. I sighed. I agreed on this. As a matter of fact, quite a few of people I had asked were saying a similar view, pinning down the fact that benefits are easy and have made certain people lazy. “What did you vote then?” I asked. “Labour. We thought the Tories were harsh”.

“I voted Labour,” confessed another Mum during the pick-up in my son’s school. She had done it through postal voting. “Why?” “The other parties seem ugly”. “Aren’t you disappointed with Labour?” “Not at all. We’ve always voted Labour.. since my ancestors,” she remarked. Hmm. Loyalty.

We parted with my thinking of all the backbiting occurring during the run-up to the election; from celebrity endorsements in the papers to broadcasting a party leader’s gaffe in response to an elderly lady towards her enquiry of the Eastern European influx. Although there were few peaceful days when Eyjafjallajokull’s ash cloud closed the UK’s airports whereby all parties could not offer who were to blame. Then back to business of in a week’s time while the three consecutive television debates put people more in front of TV with their “swingometer” in place. It turned out it takes three to tango.

Through my letter box a party has made a contract addressed to us, the other has warned the danger of voting the previous party which is likely to erase the child’s tax credit and the previously undermined one is calling for the fairer Britain. Oh, yes, and a reminder from the Residents’ Association that today’s election is a council election as well. Blimey. Holding the leaflet bearing the faces of candidates of future councillor, I asked myself: what do I know about them?

Today thus every voter is electing a name which represents them in the national level (their MP) and another name for the council ( the local one). Yet little do voters are informed about the latter. As a result, as soon as a voter opened the ballot, they would be in for surprise.

More significantly, would there be a surge in the turnout? It appears to me that the demand for a much better condition through electing a new government will make many go. However, it is worrying to realise that many would vote because of frustration. Would they vote to stop immigration? To raise tax allowance to £10,000? Or just to kick out the ruling one?

In a Mum’s word, “Let’s vote for change. And see what happens”. Would you? Is it time for the opposition party to rule? Or would someone still care about a party’s values regardless critics of its deviation? Would it matter to vote a leader from a party which showed a good gesture to voters in the debates thus offering it a fighting chance?

Still undecided? Perhaps a bright day will clear out one’s conscience. Overall, this election is still a very exciting one. Please, be part of it.