Categories: uncategorized
Date: 23 April 2005 17:10:16
Have just read Jo-anne Nadler's "Too Nice to be a Tory", which I picked up for all of 49p in a charity shop yesterday. (Sorry I degress, but I love a bargain).
Anyway it got me thinking about politics and my own political journey. As regular readers will be aware I have become disillusioned and have been thinking about spoiling my vote as where I live I don't have Greens or Respect as an option.
However, I am aware that readers have probably been thinking I am a disillusioned Labour voter. Well no - a disillusioned Lib Dem actually, didn't even vote Labour in '97. Here I feel it is time to, briefly, tell my own story and say why having read this book I have decided to stop going for the trendy but true option and return to the habit of over a decade (voting Lib Dem).
I first found myself voting Lib Dem in 1992. I couldn't explain why, but I knew I didn't trust Labour as likely to keep hold of their socialist values. By the time I got to uni, that September, my views were confirmed. At freshers fair I did a quick tour of the stalls, including the political ones (well not Conservative, obviously). The responses I was getting on the subject of student loans already confirmed that Lib Dems were moving left of Labour (and this was before the New Labour project got fully launched).
Anyway through uni, I remained a member. Helping man freshers fair, standing as a paper candidate (somebody who is prepared to put their name down to be a candidate for the party in local elections on the condition there is no danger they will actually get elected) and generally doing a bit of networking.
I've also in my time done leafleting, telling (where you find out whose voted so you can cross them off and not disturb them during "knocking up" - no, not that sort - it's where you chase up supporters who haven't yet voted) and even some door knocking. I was not an overly committed activist, but I'd been there. And in '97 I was sitting with the Lib Dems in the public bar as we saw Portillo lose.
Only problem is getting reasonably involved you find out that some parties are just so broad that they're not appealing just your views but those which you most abhore (trying to take Tory aswell as Labour votes) and you begin to think all politicians are opportunists. Anyway that's what happened to me & so basically just as everybody else had fallen out of love with New Labour I fell out of love with the Lib Dems.
Anyway over this election, I have been desperately trying to hold on to my cynicism, I mean the reality won't match the rhetoric - will it? However, as time has gone on I have found myself agreeing with an awful lot of what they've been saying again (I'm not stupid and so don't expect to agree with every little bit). I am a natural Lib Dem (on one wing of the party), which is when I followed the link on Jack's site to who to vote for I came out v. much a Lib Dem.
So I have decided it is time to stop being negative and decide to vote for what I believe in : An end to tuition fees, a postitive view on the contribution immigrants make to the country and economy, a positive look at education and contribution of the further education sector - a return to the idea of public services being something we should all contribute towards according to our ability to pay (through taxation) and taking not just our rights from but also our responsibilities towards others in our communities seriously.
Yes, I'm back on board. So how did reading a book about a Tory activist do this, I don't know - I guess I just realised that in the end it's better to believe in something, whilst acknowledging the bits you don't like than cynically turn away from it all. Being politically inclined is never going to be comftable, but in the end you're there for the long haul.