First Time Voters Question Time

I have just watched the titular program on BBC iPlayer. What a brilliant idea, what a farce. Yet again the politicians abuse the Queen's to avoid or ignore valid points and concerns of the, sometimes hard to understand, audience. A large portion of time was spent on voter apathy. When the panel was twice asked how we were supposed to bring ourselves, the youth, the first time voters to obtain the will and desire to vote when the 3 major parties hardly differ. Not once did the MPs representing their party say "We are different!". Not once did they dare try to criticise their own or the others' leaders in saying "We must be different! We must make our stall clear from those of the others who seek to triumph over us." Not once. They went on how they must engage us, how they must garner our support, still avoiding the blindingly obvious and continuing to fail to answer the question, and that it must come from both directions not just from the political elite. They talked about how Westminster must seem isolated and aloof. Still they did not dare question their leaders and did not answer the question.

When the politicians fail the Queen's in this manner how am I to gain trust in them, how am I going to want to vote for them, for ANY of them? Talking with friends last night I said that I was most likely to vote UKIP. This caused some consternation as it was a 'throw away vote'. Yes it may well be in a Buckinghamshire constituency, but when I see David Cameron I hear Tony Blair, I hear a man who cannot even set out a stall with tangible policies that don't contradict each other or even make sense; when I see Nick Clegg (one of the audience didn't even know his name) I do not see a liberal party, nor do I see a party with common sense and the ability to return to the people what belongs to the people; when I see Gordon Brown I see a dictator, a small man with a small mind who cannot hear nor see reason if it does not agree with him. So I want to vote for a party that will do something, anything. I have considered UKIP and they at least offer a national referendum on whether we are in or out of Europe. But why vote when it will probably merely logged as a protest vote? I want to vote but please, someone throw me a bone here!

Queen's English

The political hunting season is soon to commence with the general election just around the corner. So what will this mean for those who are, like myself, newly arrived into politics.

I shall start with a breif introduction into why I havce newly arrived at the realisation that I need to take an interest in politics. It feels like it was only mere months ago that myself and my older brother were sitting around the kitchen table at a family supper asking a simple question which shows our terrifying ignorance of how important an interest in politics is. That question simply

"What do politicians actually DO for us?"

We did concede that once in a while they did make very large and influential decisions, but failed to see that it is the little things that matter. The "Salami Tactics" of the current government to steal our liberties and our money was slow and as one barely reasonable proposal followed anotherattempting to control our lives, actions and thoughts.
I was finally outraged enought to start paying attention when news of the CRB check got to the papers. In its original design it would prevent parents from watching their own children playing in sports matches (this may have just been excessive reaction from The Times, Telegraph or BBC that was saying this). This was a step too much for me and I started paying attention.

I now return to what this post is about. I have spent the past couple of days visiting political party websites in an attempt to decide which party speaks for me best. It is said that politicians think in sound bites, it seems to me that they do the vast majority of their communication in this method too. Whilst reading through their shortened online manifestos and policies I struggled to comprehend what they were saying. These abbreviated manifestos talked of their plans in long and eloquent sentences but, as I'm sure the promises they were hinting, were rather empty of specific content. I was beginning to be irritated by this wilfil lack of content and so turned to their full manifestos. Upon opening the manifestos I was frustrated again, not by the specific content but by thee sheer volume of the material. What would be wrong with a simple statement saying that "We would support Britain's farmers." followed by two parts with short bullet points to answer, "What we would do." and "Why the measures we would take would be beneficial.". This, though, I do believe would be beyond them. Their long and flowery speeches that fail to say anything and their sound bite attitude to the rest of communications have failed them.

Nay, I tell a lie. This language, in which I write, speak and think, can be meaningful, sharp and emphatic. It is not the Queen's English which fails them, but they whom fail the Queen's.