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Wow.
About a week ago, I voted in my first general election.
Today, I woke up for the first time to a government that I am happy to have and cautiously optimistic about. Well, actually, I'm really happy, I grin and laugh and woop.
I am definitely optimistic. Cautiously so, because these are politicians, and the nature of politicians is that they can do things you dislike, they can fuck over the country you love, they can break promises and disappoint you and not live up to that first burst of pride and joy you felt upon their election.
But at the moment, the pride and joy remain.
A lot of people in this country - and a lot of people on the bits of the internet I frequent - really hate the Conservatives. I can understand that position, though I don't currently share it. I really hate Labour at the moment, and I expect it will take a good couple of years before I am ready to consider forgiving them. So, I'm sorry if you are a die hard Labour supporter, or Conservative that hates this coalition, or a Lib Dem that is scared of this coalition. I know what it is like to have a government in place that you just really hate, and also, I know what it is like to have the candidate you voted for lose. It's frustrating and upsetting and I know a lot of people are not happy today.
But I personally am, at this point, pretty damn happy. I teeter between supporting the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, usually on different issues but occasionally on one issue. But I have felt that there really are areas they do agree on, like protecting our civil liberties, like education reform that will work out really well for this. Some of the policies this government implements I will not like, and some of the policies each side conceded I will miss, but this is the real nature of politics, and I appreciate that.
I had difficulty choosing which party to support at the General Election, and that is probably the main reason I haven't actually joined one yet, because I don't know which would be weirder, to be a more left wing member of the Conservatives or a more right wing member of the Liberal Democrats. When I voted, the decision was easy enough, because I voted in a marginal Labour constituency and used my vote in the hope of removing our Labour MP. It didn't work, by the way, and an MP I actually did like in the neighboring constituency lost his seat too, so that was quite disappointing. But this is the government I would have voted for if I'd had that option, more than wanting either a Conservative majority or a Lib Dem majority. This is the best I could have hoped for from the available possibilities.
So, I'm pleased, and I'm hopeful.
A lot hangs on this new government. I really really hope they do well, and don't screw it up.
About a week ago, I voted in my first general election.
Today, I woke up for the first time to a government that I am happy to have and cautiously optimistic about. Well, actually, I'm really happy, I grin and laugh and woop.
I am definitely optimistic. Cautiously so, because these are politicians, and the nature of politicians is that they can do things you dislike, they can fuck over the country you love, they can break promises and disappoint you and not live up to that first burst of pride and joy you felt upon their election.
But at the moment, the pride and joy remain.
A lot of people in this country - and a lot of people on the bits of the internet I frequent - really hate the Conservatives. I can understand that position, though I don't currently share it. I really hate Labour at the moment, and I expect it will take a good couple of years before I am ready to consider forgiving them. So, I'm sorry if you are a die hard Labour supporter, or Conservative that hates this coalition, or a Lib Dem that is scared of this coalition. I know what it is like to have a government in place that you just really hate, and also, I know what it is like to have the candidate you voted for lose. It's frustrating and upsetting and I know a lot of people are not happy today.
But I personally am, at this point, pretty damn happy. I teeter between supporting the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, usually on different issues but occasionally on one issue. But I have felt that there really are areas they do agree on, like protecting our civil liberties, like education reform that will work out really well for this. Some of the policies this government implements I will not like, and some of the policies each side conceded I will miss, but this is the real nature of politics, and I appreciate that.
I had difficulty choosing which party to support at the General Election, and that is probably the main reason I haven't actually joined one yet, because I don't know which would be weirder, to be a more left wing member of the Conservatives or a more right wing member of the Liberal Democrats. When I voted, the decision was easy enough, because I voted in a marginal Labour constituency and used my vote in the hope of removing our Labour MP. It didn't work, by the way, and an MP I actually did like in the neighboring constituency lost his seat too, so that was quite disappointing. But this is the government I would have voted for if I'd had that option, more than wanting either a Conservative majority or a Lib Dem majority. This is the best I could have hoped for from the available possibilities.
So, I'm pleased, and I'm hopeful.
A lot hangs on this new government. I really really hope they do well, and don't screw it up.
