Well, the General Election is upon us. I have my polling card at the ready and when I get home from the office tonight I shall be making my way down to the polling station, and I shall be voting Labour.
Why?
Because the Lib Dems, despite Nick Clegg's pretty face and his talent for public speaking, concern me. Their policies are wishy washy to say the least (and yes, that is a technical term) and so far I have seen nothing that convinces me that should they come to power, they will be what this country so desperately needs. We don't need a poster boy, we need a PM that can lead this country out of the recession, that can secure the continued recovery of the economy, and Nick Clegg has done nothing to make me think he could be that person.
Because the thought of a Conservative government frightens me (and I'd like to slap David Cameron as soon as look at him.) I could go on a Tory-type rant here, but I shall refrain. It amuses me, though, that they they seem to be putting a lot of focus on the voters who can't remember the Thatcher/Major days. Poll tax riots anyone? And besides, look at the Conservative promises to cut inheritance tax for millionaires (fabulous, lets do that, when there is so little money to go around anyway), to cut spending before we're out of the recession (which is nothing if not frightening), and to take money out of our school system to create private school and tell me what there is to support. Vote for change? No thanks, David.
So, am I voting Labour because I don't want to vote Lib Dem/Tory?
No. I am voting Labour because I genuinely believe they are the best people for the job. Because I genuinely believe that Gordon Brown is the one person who can lead us to a level of economic security, and surely right now, that has to be a priority? Because I agree with what they stand for. Because their manifesto makes sense. Because even though Nick Clegg comes across better on television, even though David Cameron's smug face is smiling at me from almost every billboard I see, the values behind the Labour Party are the ones I want to see carried forward. Because despite the mistakes they have made (and I can't deny that they've made them) I'd rather have a continued Labour government, mistakes and all, than a Tory or Lib Dem alternative.
Vote Labour.
in which i remember i have a blog
Oh dear. I have really very much failed at updating this thing. I am a very bad blogger. I must to better.
So, a potted catch up:
Did ok on the OU poetry TMA. Ok, so it was my worst mark of the course so far, but I am rationalising it by telling myself that as I'd never really written poetry before I did ok. And I've been scribblinbg bits of things since. I shall some out and post it in the next few days.
Also had the life-writing TMA. I wrote about my friend Kez, and her little girl Jenna who has Apert's Syndrome. Results came back for that over the weekend. Again, I did ok. I still haven't bettered the mark I got for that first assignment, but this was the first mark since. I am frustrated though, as I wonder a little whether I am missing the point, or whether maybe my tutor just doesn't get me. Don't get me wrong, she gives me some great (and extremely useful) feedback, and it's not that I can't handle critcism; I value the negative feedback more than the positive almost, but, when she makes suggestions such as 'why don't you add a little bit more about yourself in there, make it personal, make it about you a little more....' and then when marking tells me the one section of the piece I should cut is the one section in which I do just that (which I only bloody put in there under her suggestion!) I can't help but feel a little bit frustrated. Hey ho. I did ok, and most of what she said made sense, so *shrugs*
TMA05 is due in two weeks. I have a piece part written that I think I will submit, and I have been researching magazines that I could potentially submit too, so watch this space. The TMA is all about publication, so, we have to write a piece of poetry or prose, choose a magazine we'd like to submit it too, submit our work according to said magazine guildines, and write a bit about our choice of publication. Sounds fun. I have been looking at/hope to look at Pen Pusher, Ambit, Agenda, Mslexia, Litro, Notes on the Underground, Tears in the Fence, Markings, The North, Flash, The Warwick Review, The Edinburgh Review, The Fringe, Poetry London, The PN Review, Caketrain, Harvard Review, Granta, Anon, The Rialto, Spilt Milk Mag, Short Fiction, Iota, Popshot, Shearsman on the recommendation of the lovely Jen Campbell.
Once the course is done and dusted, I shall come back and post a couple of assignment pieces for those of you who might still be reading.
So, a potted catch up:
Did ok on the OU poetry TMA. Ok, so it was my worst mark of the course so far, but I am rationalising it by telling myself that as I'd never really written poetry before I did ok. And I've been scribblinbg bits of things since. I shall some out and post it in the next few days.
Also had the life-writing TMA. I wrote about my friend Kez, and her little girl Jenna who has Apert's Syndrome. Results came back for that over the weekend. Again, I did ok. I still haven't bettered the mark I got for that first assignment, but this was the first mark since. I am frustrated though, as I wonder a little whether I am missing the point, or whether maybe my tutor just doesn't get me. Don't get me wrong, she gives me some great (and extremely useful) feedback, and it's not that I can't handle critcism; I value the negative feedback more than the positive almost, but, when she makes suggestions such as 'why don't you add a little bit more about yourself in there, make it personal, make it about you a little more....' and then when marking tells me the one section of the piece I should cut is the one section in which I do just that (which I only bloody put in there under her suggestion!) I can't help but feel a little bit frustrated. Hey ho. I did ok, and most of what she said made sense, so *shrugs*
TMA05 is due in two weeks. I have a piece part written that I think I will submit, and I have been researching magazines that I could potentially submit too, so watch this space. The TMA is all about publication, so, we have to write a piece of poetry or prose, choose a magazine we'd like to submit it too, submit our work according to said magazine guildines, and write a bit about our choice of publication. Sounds fun. I have been looking at/hope to look at Pen Pusher, Ambit, Agenda, Mslexia, Litro, Notes on the Underground, Tears in the Fence, Markings, The North, Flash, The Warwick Review, The Edinburgh Review, The Fringe, Poetry London, The PN Review, Caketrain, Harvard Review, Granta, Anon, The Rialto, Spilt Milk Mag, Short Fiction, Iota, Popshot, Shearsman on the recommendation of the lovely Jen Campbell.
Once the course is done and dusted, I shall come back and post a couple of assignment pieces for those of you who might still be reading.
