I never thought I would type those words as I usually fall under the umbrella of people who hate it all and think politicians are all the same. Tax dodging, false promises, tens of thousands on expenses, posh Eton boys protecting their mates' wallets etc etc. But having got a bit more involved I can see that the problem isn't that all politicians are the same, it's that we keep voting for the same politicians and expect them to be different. And if you want to quote that and layer it on top of a picture of me looking pensive then please, go ahead. Something like this would suffice:
Two sets of people, though, have been frustrating me. Firstly, there is the group that I formerly belonged to. The ones who won't get involved, won't research their options, they are prejudiced from the start and decide they won't vote because they don't think there is anyone worth voting for. But if you look past Labour and the Tories there are genuine alternatives. Watching the debates a couple of weeks ago was fantastic, and I don't understand how anyone could watch it and not have thought: "Sod it, let's just give the job to them three women" (or something to that affect).
Natalie Bennett of the Greens, Leanne Wood of Plaid Cymru, and Nicola Sturgeon of the SNP gave me real faith that there are people out there who are genuine progressives and have our interests at heart. Seeing the three ladies on stage bossing the whole debate while Farage stood in the corner moaning about the audience (probably full of foreigners) and Ed being his usual uninspiring self, it felt like the old guard vs the future. Now clearly it's impossible to vote for 2 of those 3 unless i've gained a cult following in Wales and Scotland, which is doubtful, but the point still stands; politicians aren't inherently bad, we just need to do our homework, make the effort to find the right ones and then vote them in. Bloody simples.
The second group of people who have frustrated me are the tactical voters. I read something on Twitter a couple of weeks back that said "the only wasted vote is a vote for a party you don't believe in". That sums it up beautifully. If you want to see politics change for the better, look up the manifestos, read them carefully, pick the one you agree with most and go with them. I don't want the Tories in again, but I won't vote Labour just to keep them out. The truth is that Labour aren't the Labour of old and while they are better than the Tories they are basically just a slightly nicer, watered down version. I'll be voting for the party who I feel most reflect my views on the world and what our priorities should be, I would encourage you to do the same.
Nothing will ever change if we keep voting between these two parties. I can't think of anybody I know that is happy with how this country is run, yet we're in the same two horse race we've been in since god knows when; it doesn't make any sense but we do have the power to change it.
I haven't mentioned UKIP because enough has been said about them over the last year or so. If anyone is considering voting UKIP, I would give you the same advise I would give anyone, read the manifestos first. Even just the basic summary. If you read that and still wish to vote for them, that is absolutely your right. Although I do hope that a Romanian rugby tackles you on your way to the Polling Station.
