Unless you are lucky enough to have been on a desert island or locked away somewhere you cannot have failed to notice that very shortly we have to go to the polls and declare who we want to govern this country for the next four years.

How do we decide? – Can we rely on the promises now being made by all parties, many of which we have heard before or should we look back over past records to see what they actually did when they had the opportunity.

Most of the offers on the table are directed at individual groups who might be persuaded to vote for them and who, if I recall correctly, were the same people targeted at the last election. Near the top of the list are the pensioners whose numbers are increasing daily and who probably have as much as anyone to complain about.

Of course, the recent recession has to carry some of the blame for the shortfall in the promises made four years ago but excuses can always be found.

Did You Know?

After the end of the Second World War successive governments have had an easy task compared to those who had the responsibility for running the country before that time. Life was hard for most families with very few jobs to be had. Those lucky enough to be employed often found the pay barely covered the cost of feeding the family.

People today complain that they do not have enough time to do all that needs doing. Perhaps a comparison of a typical week for a wife and mother in the 1930’s with a similar role today might highlight where their time goes and what their priorities are.

At the same time we must bear in mind that in those days ordinary people had little or no expectation and consequently they were less stressed and more content. Very often their main worry was where the families’ next meal would come from.

People had the vote in those days just as they do today, but not many concerned themselves with what was going on in Parliament unless there was a particular proposal on the agenda that was likely to have a direct affect on their well being.

Often, they would only be aware of such a debate when their lives were suddenly subjected to a change in something they had always been used to. Any news they got was usually by word of mouth and might be several days old. Not many ordinary folk were affluent enough to have a wireless or the money for a newspaper.

The whole world was changed by the war. Not least of all people’s expectations. Those that had survived were determined to make up for the years they had lost and everyone continued to work together to rebuild their lives.

Our parents and grand-parents set about restoring our country, it’s infrastructure and a society without the strict class distinction many had previously been subjected to. We were soon able to boast that we had the best Health, Mail, Police and Railway Services etc. in the world.

There were plenty of jobs to be had with opportunities in almost every field. Wherever you looked improvements and progress were clearly visible and for the first time, many of those who had always wanted to, were able to go away for a holiday. – ‘We’d never had it so good!’

So what went wrong?
Many will say it was due to the pressures put on us by other Countries or to the failings and mismanagement of successive Governments. Very few of the improvements introduced were left to flourish in the way they were planned. Bit by bit they have been chipped away until now, we have instances where situations have become worse than they were originally.
All Parties are offering what they refer to as the only way forward. The choice is down to the general Public. Some are lucky enough to know which way to vote. Not necessarily with confidence but because that is the Party they have always voted for or they like the promises they are making.

Wouldn’t it be great if we were voting for people of true character who could be trusted to do exactly what they said. Someone strong and brave enough to tell us to stop borrowing, ‘cut our cloth’ and buy only that which we can afford.

If everyone did that it would not be long before the greed and envy that seems to have taken such a firm grip on our Society today would soon be a thing of the past. Thus giving everyone freedom from the stress of modern day living. What a start that would be!

Now all you have to do is choose the Party, who not only knows what is wrong but has a long term solution worked out ready to be implemented.

“Good Luck!”

valley lad – [EIGHTY]