Labour aren't the only losers: everyone will suffer under the Tories
First of
all, as a Labour supporter and future voter, the election (both within school
and nationally) and its result have not been easy to accept. I have watched over the past five years as the Coalition government made massive
austerity cuts to public services, with 200,000 CHILDREN - impoverished
children - relying on food banks, the scrapping of the Education Maintenance
Allowance and a simultaneous rise in tuition fees for university from £3000 to £9000 a year
alongside a reduction in power to local education authorities.
I find it hard to believe that fellow students have voted for another Conservative government who have publicly and unashamedly ignored and exploited them. Logically, you wouldn't be blamed for thinking a progressive alternative was inevitable. Sadly, that was not the case. The Labour party, leader Ed Miliband in particular, were targeted by the right wing Tory press such as The Sun and The Times (both owned by Rupert Murdoch's News International empire). It can be interpreted that this assault was down to Miliband's condemnation of Murdoch's phone hacking scandal that emerged in the Leveson Inquiry of 2012. Needless to say, as I am sure you are aware, certain aspects of Miliband's persona were repeatedly picked on in the media. It's fair to say, we can all look a bit ridiculous eating occasionally or perhaps trip over now and again but that in no way has a reflection on the ability to deliver. Passion and drive are what matters for a successful democracy, not the ability to eat a bacon sandwich gracefully.
HOPE NOT FEAR
In my opinion, politics should be built on hope rather than fear. Hope for a fairer society; hope for a society that looks after its most vulnerable instead of kicking them whilst they are down; hope for a society in which all children from all backgrounds are given an equal chance to succeed rather than just the privileged. This belief is one that is ever more important in a globalised world in which we should be embracing our neighbours both at home and abroad instead of breeding hatred, scaremongering and prejudice, a tactic that I find frankly repulsive from the UK Independence Party.
I passionately believe that a Labour government could have provided fairer opportunities for the people of Britain; voters should not just vote on behalf of their own self interests but on behalf of those who are repeatedly marginalised both from society and from elitist Westminster politics as well. We cannot forget that there is an expanding percentage of people living in poverty on our own doorstep.
What will the next five years bring us? A projected £12 billion spending cuts in welfare including child benefit. Further privatisation of the National Health Service. A reduction in workers’ rights. Investment in sustainable and renewable energy is set to be a thing of the past with fracking taking over, a practice that poses extreme dangers to the environment and people. All these are moves that have only been delayed by the involvement of the Liberal Democrats in government during the past five years.
However, it is not all doom and gloom. The politics of hope – in which I believe - has a real chance to flourish in the next five years. What is needed is a decisive grass roots movement that addresses the issues of job security, living standards, housing, public services and a safe future for our children. It isn't time to mourn; it's time to organise.
Olivia Sass
I find it hard to believe that fellow students have voted for another Conservative government who have publicly and unashamedly ignored and exploited them. Logically, you wouldn't be blamed for thinking a progressive alternative was inevitable. Sadly, that was not the case. The Labour party, leader Ed Miliband in particular, were targeted by the right wing Tory press such as The Sun and The Times (both owned by Rupert Murdoch's News International empire). It can be interpreted that this assault was down to Miliband's condemnation of Murdoch's phone hacking scandal that emerged in the Leveson Inquiry of 2012. Needless to say, as I am sure you are aware, certain aspects of Miliband's persona were repeatedly picked on in the media. It's fair to say, we can all look a bit ridiculous eating occasionally or perhaps trip over now and again but that in no way has a reflection on the ability to deliver. Passion and drive are what matters for a successful democracy, not the ability to eat a bacon sandwich gracefully.
HOPE NOT FEAR
In my opinion, politics should be built on hope rather than fear. Hope for a fairer society; hope for a society that looks after its most vulnerable instead of kicking them whilst they are down; hope for a society in which all children from all backgrounds are given an equal chance to succeed rather than just the privileged. This belief is one that is ever more important in a globalised world in which we should be embracing our neighbours both at home and abroad instead of breeding hatred, scaremongering and prejudice, a tactic that I find frankly repulsive from the UK Independence Party.
I passionately believe that a Labour government could have provided fairer opportunities for the people of Britain; voters should not just vote on behalf of their own self interests but on behalf of those who are repeatedly marginalised both from society and from elitist Westminster politics as well. We cannot forget that there is an expanding percentage of people living in poverty on our own doorstep.
What will the next five years bring us? A projected £12 billion spending cuts in welfare including child benefit. Further privatisation of the National Health Service. A reduction in workers’ rights. Investment in sustainable and renewable energy is set to be a thing of the past with fracking taking over, a practice that poses extreme dangers to the environment and people. All these are moves that have only been delayed by the involvement of the Liberal Democrats in government during the past five years.
However, it is not all doom and gloom. The politics of hope – in which I believe - has a real chance to flourish in the next five years. What is needed is a decisive grass roots movement that addresses the issues of job security, living standards, housing, public services and a safe future for our children. It isn't time to mourn; it's time to organise.
Olivia Sass