Chris Rea, is a right miserable
sounding sod, isn't he?
Recently in work the radio was playing
“Road to Hell”. Singing it, he sounds like he’s had a heavy
night and he’s been forced to record the vocals clutching his head
from his bed, as opposed to sitting in the studio, thoughtfully
contemplating the last journey to an everlasting tortuous afterlife.
I don’t know it this is true or not
but he wrote this whilst on the way back home for Christmas, which
inspired him to write “Driving home for Christmas”. So he was
inspired to write two opposing songs on the same journey. I would’ve
loved to have been in that car while his moods were bouncing back and
fore like a space hopper in a washing machine.
“I can't wait to get get home for
Christmas!”
“This traffic is awful...”
“I can't wait to see all those
smiling faces!!”
“Look at all these other poor souls,
desperately trying to get somewhere.”
“Wish I was on the beach...” (Sorry
I've introduced a third Chris Rea song there...)
But anyway.
My point being is that “Road to Hell”
was playing after another election based discussion on BBC Radio 2.
It made me wonder if it was an ominous sign that we’re heading for
another five years of a Tory-led government.
Now, when it comes to politics I will
say that I’m not the best informed person on the planet; I tend to
zone out and imagine what I'm watching as some part of an episode of
The Thick of It. But this time around I’ve been listening more
intently to what the leaders are saying. To be honest, they're saying
the same old things that most politicians say: NHS this, immigration
that, “I never sent those naked pictures, how dare you...”
However one thing I have noticed is
that the public (when on Question Time and the leaders' debates)
looked pissed off. I mean properly pissed off. To me, that makes the
run-up to this election feel different. The public have had enough
and want change. It seems we’re calling out the politicians as
liars and rightfully accusing them of being unable to keep promises
(Hi Mr Clegg).
Now, I’m not going to tell you which
way I’m voting (although my attempts will inevitably fail), but I
will tell you two parties who won’t be getting my vote. That'll be
the Conservatives and UKIP. I was brought up in a house that
generally favoured Labour as the party of choice. I imagine it’s
what Mrs Thatcher did in the eighties to affect the Welsh that
probably did it. I found out later that my parents were so
disillusioned with the way she was running the country that they
actually wrote her a letter to tell her exactly that. They got a
response as well, which if memory serves, stated something along the
lines of
“Shut it plebs, I’m the god damn
Prime Minister! KNEEL BEFORE ME!! MWAHHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAAHAHAH!!!!”
(Well it was a long time ago..)
(It didn't say that. I don't think.)
But anyway, my point is that I won’t
vote Tory because of several things. They have punished the poorer
parts of the country, to an extent that there’s close to a million
people using food banks. They told people with registered
disabilities that it turns out they should be working after all.
They’ve not denied plans to slash welfare, which will no doubt
affect the people who need it the most. Before they got into power my
eldest son received a child trust fund to help with his education
when he turns 18. After they got into power, they stopped it and now
my youngest son did not receive the same opportunity that my eldest
did. Now I’m not saying that the small amount of money will make or
break my son's future, but the message that it sends is unforgivable.
By doing that, they are showing that they have little respect for the
education of the generations of the future. It is simply not
acceptable.
As for UKIP, I simply don't trust the
Hypno-toad leader they call Farage. But, I can see why people are
supporting him. It's not rocket science to see that if someone stand
up in front of people who says things that a percentage of the
population are thinking (and they do, you know they do. You've heard
them. You probably know them, I know people who are in the UKIP
mindset) then they are going to stand up too and give him the
support that he needs. The problem (well there's a ton of problems
but I've only got so much space) with Farage is that he's scaring
people into voting for him by rattling off a bunch of statistics that
sound plausible and he gives the impression that he can sort it all
out over a few pints in a lock-in. To me, Farage is a small minded
buffoon that is harbouring plans to destroy the NHS, mortally wound
the BBC and generally be a total dick. I fear a day when this man
has credible power.
Farage (Allegedly)
(Also, not my picture)
But that's why I'm voting. I'm voting
because I want a change. Because it a privilege that has been handed
to me by generations of people who have fought and died to secure a
better, more hopeful future. If by some random chance there are some
people reading this who don't vote or this is your first time with
the opportunity, go out and make your mark on Thursday. I don't care
who you vote for, just make your decision.
If you waste your chance, then you are
letting people you probably don't like do what they want because you
couldn't be arsed to to down the road and put a cross on a piece of
paper. That literally all you have to do to change things. You've
probably made more effort trying to find a remote control in your
house.
In fact, think about it like that.
Imagine Keith Lemon was about to come on the TV. You don't like Keith
Lemon. Who the hell does? But the remote is some where and you don't
know where. Now, you can make the tiniest bit of effort to find it
and affect a change. Or you can do nothing and sit just there
miserable, whilst Keith Lemon reigns down you for what seems like an
eternity melting your brain with his godawful schtick.
Fuck, I hate Keith Lemon.
Anyway. It's not a hard decision is it?
Vote.
