Don't Forget To Vote!

I know some folks have theological objections to voting, which is fair enough. But there is no excuse for apathy so extract your digit and put your cross in the box. Democracy works best if everyone takes part!

I've been in something of a quandary which way to vote. As a left wing bolshy I've always been inclined to vote Labour but I can think of lots of reasons not to this time, the main one being the Iraq War. I know it was Blair's thing but Gordon Brown was complicit in it and the Parliamentary Labour Party could and should have done more to stop Blair. They were all too concerned with hanging on to their meal tickets. However, there is no way I am going to vote for the Tories. Not only because of their policies and experience of previous Tory governments, but also because Cameron and Osbourne are a right pair of vacuous twerps who I wouldn't trust to run a bath never mind a government.

Ignoring the xenophobes in the BNP and UKIP, that leaves me with a choice between an independent and a Liberal Democrat. I'm kind of sympathetic towards the independent chappie because he's a Greek Cypriot but, frankly, although he is a serious candidate and not a loony, his policies don't hold together. So that leaves the Lib Dem fellow. And seeing as I'm in a constituency that has been a safe Tory seat as long as anyone can remember, he's probably the only candidate with any real chance of challenging the Tory in any case. Moreover, I would like to see a change in our electoral system away from the first past the post arrangement and if the Lib Dems get a big share of votes (if not Parliamentary seats) then the pressure will be there for some kind of change. Furthermore, Vince Cable has given a good impression of knowing what he's talking about and he ought to be given a chance at doing it for real. Time for a shake up, perhaps.

But what swings it finally is that I have learned today that Floella Benjamin supports the Lib Dems.  As well as Brian Eno. Enough said!