The General Election 2015

I have tried not to post too much in the way of politics as it is such a minefield. Some people are so passionate about their political views and others find it the most boring topic imaginable. I am in no way qualified in giving advice or even understanding politics, but I believe that it is such an important decision and I so desperately want to make my vote count!

With the General Elections fast approaching I felt that if I were ever going to post anything, it ought to be soon. Last time the General Elections came around I spent the whole day researching, as well as a week or so before, and was the very last person in the polling station before it closed for the day. I had been reading and re-reading manifestos and wanted to be sure I was making the right choice, for me. I was so conflicted last time and after reading and comparing their policies, I couldn't decide between the Tories and the Lib Dems (I guess the result was perfect for me at that time!)

So many people my age either stick their vote to the most relevent major party or simply choose not to vote at all. Most people in and around my area stick to the Party they have always voted for, or who their parents always voted for. Our area is very Labour-dominated. So much so that when I voted Conservative last year, I was berated by my family with tales of the mines being closed and Thatcherism. The thing is though, it's my vote and I will cast it in whichever way I see fit. I will never blindly vote, and any decision I come to is the result of a lot of research, reading and prayer!

This time around I don't associate so much with the Conservative's policies. I guess we all grow and change, and different things are important to us at different stages of our lives. At this point, my main focuses are on: Sanctity of Life; Sanctity of Marriage; Education (primarily religious studies and sex education).

From UCLU (click for link)

After my research it seems that of the major parties we have Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrats, and more recently, UKIP. I've been reading the manifestos of the major players, and I don't particularly feel aligned to any of them (This article made me re-evaluate a few things). I moved on to a couple of the lesser-known minor parties, particularly those with strong Christian values. My husband tells me that if you don't vote for a major party, you might as well void your voting slip. He says that if you're going to vote, the only logical way is to put your vote to one of the top guns, otherwise it's practically wasted.

While I can see his point, I have to disagree with him. Yes, I understand that if I vote for a smaller party, it's much less likely that they'll get enough votes to make it into Parliament, and so it may appear to be a waste. However... as true as this may be, it's important to remember that our generation is not the be-all and end-all.

I think we all pray in desperation that Jesus will come back and claim His bride in our lifetime, but we can't hedge all our bets on this actually happening. I'm sure the Disciples thought it would be in their lifetimes... for all we know it could be another 2000 years! With this in mind, we have to think long-term.

As I tried explaining to my husband last night, it may be futile to think that my single vote will make any difference whatsoever. It may be borderline impossible for a minor party to be elected into power. The minor parties will most likely not get enough votes to even make a difference in a small way. They might, however, get enough votes to get a seat in the House of Commons. Fast forward another five years and they might get a few more. This is where it gets exciting!

When our grandchildren are old enough to vote, who knows what the House will look like? That minor party that I almost didn't vote for might just have enough seats to take over the whole place, or at least make their presence known! That minor party might finally become a frontrunner in the race to lead our country!

I'm definitely not letting their current position stop me from casting my vote on a party that I believe in!

It's time we had more Christians in Parliament. And not just any Christians; not just Nominal Christians and Christians by birthright. We want Spirit-filled and passionate Christ-followers!

There's still some time to do some research and make your vote count! I think I know where I'm leaning... do you?

I leave you with the same plea I gave in my last post, and ask you all to heed the advice given to us in 1 Timothy 2:1-3 and to stand with me in praying for our leaders; specifically our Parliamentary and Party leaders. As we face the last days and we look around to see our world crumbling, let's pray that those in charge have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind (1 Peter 3:8).

Let's change the world, through humility, compassion and pride in Jesus!