Ellie Speaks...

It's Thursday evening in the Jackson household and everyone is gathered in the living room with chocolate and various alcoholic/caffeinated beverages to watch the debate. My Dad recently joined the labour party and my youngest brother is sporting a 'Step outside posh boy' t-shirt (courtesy of the Guardian). I'll class my mother under the 'politically moderate' category, although her incessant outbursts at David Cameron would suggest otherwise...for the sake of this blog we'll blame that on the two glasses of wine. That leaves me, my other brother and his girlfriend who come under 'politically undecided'. The evening passed smoothly, apart from the random interjections from my mother, the witty comments from my 'other' brother and the moments when my Dad left the room in the same way he does when England are taking a penalty (guilty, anxious, mortified...you get the picture).

If I'm honest I wasn't blown away by ANY of the party leaders. Brown, although detailed and specific in his policies, was dull and his education manifesto is ridiculous; I wanted to punch David Cameron in his smarmy, barmy face - he was all talk and no substance and he tries WAY too hard to be 'down with the people'; Nick Clegg was a slight improvement, but only because I was getting so sick of the petty 'banter' between Brown and Cameron, that it was a relief to see someone else on the platform. I disliked the 'over-the-top' politeness of all three, making sure they called everyone by their first names and the continuous references to people they'd met in Hull or some other poor, working-class area of Britain - annoying! I just want something fresh, I want to see a leader who stands out, someone who I can believe in. I don't want any of those men to represent my country! Where's our british Roosevelts, Mandelas, Kennedys, Obamas? We lack inspiring personalities in our politics and as the wise world of musical theatre tells us in 'Wicked' it's all about personality and popularity - right!?

I'm still so confused. I'm intending to read a 'Why not socialism?' book in the next week as I am convinced Jesus is the ultimate socialist and that capitalism can't be biblical. Unfortunately, there is not british equivalent of Marx but I fear Emmeline Pankhurst would turn in her grave and haunt me if I don't vote...



Pro/Con list it is!