That being said, I do actually love politics. I have no interest in being a politician, for many reasons, but mainly because I couldn´t deal with trying to be a good person and getting nowhere with it. MPs definitely have a hard job, perhaps not worth £74,000 per annum, plus expenses, plus a 1.3% pay rise that no one else in the Public Sector gets, but I for one could not deal with the public backlash to my actions, especially when I´ve tried my hardest to represent my constituents, so kudos to the ones that actually try.
This is not something I feel like our current government is doing. They´re not a true representation of what this country wants or needs and they´re so out of touch with the rest of the world, I feel embarrassed to have to claim it as my own. Our Prime Minister is particularly strong example of this and a hypocrite to boot.
So, why am I writing about this now? I remember voting for the first time in the 2015 General Election in Colchester. I hadn´t bothered to work out whether or not my vote would make much of a difference based on FPTP and the preferences of my constituency, but I was shocked that the Conservatives won, even if it was only by 7% (you can see the results for yourself here). I also remember feeling actual anxiety at the fact they´d won, knowing all the cuts that were to come. But it´s been worse than anyone could have predicted, unless you knew David Cameron was a liar from the start.
Mental Health Services
It´s like everything he says is underpinned by a cut in a services and he expects everyone to fend for themselves even while he´s cutting access to the services people need to be able to live to any kind of standard. Here´s an example from The Independent: apparently, mental health is a priority for Cameron, so he cuts already stretched services and once many people have suffered from such cuts, he makes a show of putting some money back into the system. It doesn´t work. People with mental health issues need stable services and the security of knowing that they will be able to get support when they need it. A 'mature' and 'open' approach would surely recognise that. Experts on the subject have been ignored and this stretches to other fields too, as we'll see when we talk about the next issue.
Next, I'll talk about environmental issues, student issues and equality. If you have any thoughts then don't be too shy to share. Until then!
Interesting stuff, I've been eagerly awaiting your 'political posts'. Parliamentary debates and PMQs used to interest me but now only seem to operate as political theatres where all the superficial drama takes place, I’m not even sure we as the public get to witness any real political behaviour. Occasionally the odd speech or the leader’s debate might reveal something about policy but it’s always covered in a shroud of contradiction and vagueness. Question Time isn’t too bad, but there needs of it and it needs to be varied too, if you have the time when you get back home check out ‘Victoria Derbyshire’, it’s a decent current affairs show with in-depth interviews. Overall though the standard of political debate in the uk is pretty shabby - http://www.lbc.co.uk/james-obrien-skewers-medias-campaign-of-hate-125134
ReplyDeleteYeah, I definitely agree that our government is out of touch and seems to neglect the what the populace is saying, you might say that is not representative but at the end of the day. A large chunk of the electorate votes the conservatives knowing full well what was to be expected in the months and years, the electoral voting system need some serious reform but the rules regarding electoral spending need to be reviewed so that we move away from a two-party system and so that we got more responsible and ethically virtuous candidates into parliament. It’s no good having one token young politician like Mhairi black in Parliament, its need to be much more representative and universal.
I honestly think we are still living in the dark ages when it comes to our mental health facilities. Our wards are like prisons and our policies resemble the unsympathetic attitudes from the last century. I genuinely believe we need better education in schools and in popular media to combat the myths and misconceptions of mental health. Our government will only prioritize what they see as the flavour of the month, funding is always fleeting and will be sacrificed for the ‘good of the economy’. I don’t even think it’s about compassion or empathy anymore; it’s simply about common sense. If one is going to cut corners about an essential health service then it will only harm our economic strength in the long term particularly for our employment. I think Ignorance is Tory’s best friend.
Hey Reece! Thank you for your sharing your opinion, I really enjoyed reading it.
DeleteI totally agree with you that it's all very superficial and doesn't make for a valuable debate. The article you linked to is so poignant because it reflects the state of politics outside of Parliament, which is sometimes more important because more people will be willingly exposed to the media. I feel the media should take some responsibility and instead of speculating on the drama that politicians create to subdue us with or direct our attention to insignificant things, they should be holding them to account and educating the public. I for one am tired of just being made to feel angry. I've watched that show before and I'll make sure to keep up with it now that you've recommended it!
While it's true that a large proportion of voters did vote for the government we have now, a similar sized proportion voted against it and like you, I feel that needs to be better represented. Two-party systems in the modern age where we are all exposed to difference ways of living and ideas feel really inadequate.
You're spot on with the last point and said it better than I did! A friend just told me their experience in a mental health facility was indeed prison-like and it's clear that medical professionals, the media and the government are not doing enough not only to dispel myths but to put into action what people with mental health issues actually need. They also don't see it as enough of a priority and you're right that even from an economic perspective that focuses on austerity measures, it makes sense to make long-term investments in decent services.
I knew that the Tories coming into power again would me more cuts, but I didn't imagine them having the huge impact that they have.
ReplyDeleteIn the last general elections when we had the coalition, I was eighteen and kind of just doing my own thing, so the cuts never really had a huge impact. Now I'm seeing them left, right and centre and it's affecting every single person I know in every single aspect of our lives.
I really did not see this coming. I didn't expect them to win and I wasn't prepared for this amount of cutting, chopping and slicing at people's lives!
Hey Blowetry! Thanks for your comment. I feel the same in that respect. They've forced some families into poverty and squalor and it's not at all justified by the "economy" rhetoric that they keep feeding us.
DeleteDid you vote in the elections? I felt quite deflated after I voted seeing as it had little impact on the government that was formed. That's very true and I think that's very wrong because not everyone we know is in a position where they can sustain themselves without government assistance.
I suppose one of the best things we can do now is to show the government that we don't agree with their policies and make sure we hold them accountable