We’re just over a week away from the general election this year and it’s looking closer than it ever has been before. With us set for another coalition government, it’s never been more important to head to the ballots and have your say. But, who is it that gets your backing?
There’s been various debates on TV, radio and various other media outlets and all leaders have made their cases. What we want you to keep in mind though before you put your cross on the paper is “policies not personalities”. Keep an entirely objective view when casting your vote and make the choice that’s best for you.
With that said, how do you decide what’s best for you and the country you live in? The first thing you should think about is what issues are the most important to you? Do you care most about education? Or do you think our place in the EU is the biggest issue? Maybe you think the NHS is our biggest concern? Whatever it is that you think should take priority, look at the policies surrounding that issue and build from there.
There’s some great resources out there to help educate you on the various party policies that break everything down issue by issue, party by party. The easiest to use one we’ve seen so far is the BBC page here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2015/manifesto-guide.
Once you’ve got a good idea on who is going to take your vote, ensure you check out the rest of their policies. It’s very easy to get swept up in the burning issue of the day, but in doing so you may well let slip an important issue that affects you and a policy that you may not agree with. For example you may be so focused on EU policy you may miss what is planned for the NHS. You may be so busy taking into account zero hour contracts that you miss out on housing plans.
The main thing we ask is that before you stick with the vote you always have “because I’ve always voted for them” or vote for a party as a “protest” ensure you’re fully clued up on who you want to put into parliament.
What you need to keep in mind is that whoever you put on that paper could be running our country for the next 4-5 years, do you have full confidence in the person you’re voting for? If the answer is no, it might be worth thinking about who you’re planning on voting for.
For those of you who want a helping hand on the route to deciding, or even if you want to check who you’re voting for is the right party for you, we’ve found a fantastic tool. The following is a well put together quiz that takes into account your list of priorities on various views and matches them with the most appropriate party.
http://election2015.votematch.org/
Once you’ve got your answer, fell free to investigate their policies further and make an educated decision.
Whoever it is this election who wins your vote, make sure they have your best interests in mind and that they’ll do the best they can for you. With it being so close in the opinion polls your vote really can make a difference! No matter who makes it into parliament this year, it’s you who decides. If you don’t have your say you forfeit your right to complain about who’s in, so get educated and get voting!
