Ho Ho Ho

With the run up to election we are all being bombarded with the various party platitudes. I am finding it very difficult not to be overly cynical about the promises. We know that they have been made before, even possibly swayed our voting decisions only to realise that they simply havn't been acted upon.

So, after checking out the party lines and trying to weigh up the pros and cons against each of the major three, given that we probably won't get 'exactly what it says on the box', what's next?

Well, then the next thing is to look at the kind of people that these ministers are setting themselves up to be, given all the staging, the photo opportunities, the homely good natured appearances of the wives who are being paraded around, the winning smiles of them all on the fliers, posters and leaflets. And you hope that these leaders and their MP's of the future are at least: trustworthy, affable, fair, intelligent and honourable - at which point it is difficult not to laugh, I mean really, really belly laugh! What a fiasco, what a hoot?

So, now I've got over my belly laugh the frightening issues come into play, the kind of things that have really had a major impact on my life that have been caused by legislation that has been passed, where I have felt the distant House of Commons finger poking directly into my cheek.

Whereas once upon a time the decisions made on how our country is goverened seemed to be about large all emcompassing issues. The effects were not experienced so personally as they seem to be today and in my opion it does feel like a 'nannying state'. I am talking about for example the re-structures in the NHS, some have ultimately badly affected our out of hours GP service. Others are to do with the way our health records are being stored using a national patient IT system. This is also worrying given the track record of Government IT systems, the lack of confidence already showing in the way that the information leaflet stated words to the effect: '...this will happen but if you don't want it to then it is your right to opt out...', left me thinking like so many others I expect, so, what should I decide then? Which is the safest bet? Then there are the issues over the recession, pensions, education, immigration, equality, social care, child care, war and terrorism; there has been no stone left unturned that hasn't had a bl---y good hoeing and ultimately it has all been so depressing.

This time round I have decided to go for the postal vote. The information is pinned onto my notice board and I see it everyday and so I cannot wriggle out by deliberately fogetting. I really did forget last time but I could have set up reminders. I am not proud of this and so I will vote and the postal option will be a safer bet; less physical effort - but ohhhh the indecision, how the very thinking of it hurts.