My great-uncle Woodie joined the communist party as a young man - a small detail that prevented him getting a visa to work in South Africa at a later date.
My great-aunt Violet never forgave Winston Churchill for sending the troops in to Tonypandy during the miners’ strike. The fact that the troops never arrived there is irrelevant: that he was willing to authorise their deployment was enough of a reason for her.
My grandmother, on the other hand, voted conservative although I suspect that was less for ideological reasons and more because she aspired to be the sort of woman who she thought would vote conservative.
As for me, well, I’ve toyed with the Lib Dems – who regularly email me but address me as Dear Heather – but my heart is with my great-grandfather.
For some time I was unsure about the way I would vote in this coming election. (Anything obviously other than Tory.) The seat is a safe Labour one and much as I liked Jeremy Corbyn and his views I believed what the media said about his leadership abilities. And I remember Michael Foot, another man of principle and the butt of so many jokes.
But then Jeremy Corbyn spoke about the use (or rather non-use) of nuclear weapons and I decided. Since then he has gone from strength to strength and I am excited about voting Labour next week. I don't know if the change in attitude that we're seeing in the country will be enough - I fear it won't - but we desperately need to be rid of May and the Conservatives.
As with the EU referendum I am voting with my heart. Again as with the EU I am happy to know that my choice is supported by many intelligent people whose opinions I trust. So while I am resisting the return of fox-hunting and the refusal to ban the ivory trade not to mention the gradual destruction of the NHS I know that others wiser than me have considered other major Tory policies and found them wanting. It's not just my instinctive distrust of all things Conservative.
One final point: if we want a good health service free to all we have to pay for it.
3 comments:
No , Theresa May mustn't win ... if nothing else she seems rather plodding and lacking in empathy . The country needs someone other than a school prefect at the moment.
But who best to ensure the welfare system and NHS AND work out how to pay for it ...?
School-prefect-like is a perfect description of Theresa May. I can just see her scowling at her charges and regularly rapping knuckles with a 12 inch ruler.
It'll be shocking and depressing if the Tories win yet again.
What amazes me is the number of people who still insist that she is best for the country.
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