Tomorrow, June 8, voters in the UK go to the polls elect the country’s new government. They do so by those in each of the 650 constituencies choosing one member of parliament (MP). The government is the political party that gets the majority of MPs – and people with disabilities are watching with interest.
The magic number to have an overall majority is for one party to accumulate 326 MPs. But, if no one gets that many, it will be 2010 repeated – and it is likely they will form a coalition.
Indeed, if no party achieves an overall majority, it is quite possible they could form a coalition government without party with the most MPs. That would be a first for the UK.
Gap narrowing, opinion polls say
Opinion polls have varied widely over the campaign but one thing is certain. And that is support for the ruling Conservative party is dropping continuously while the popularity of Labour, the second largest party, is growing steadily. The difference between the two was more than 20% but latest polls put the gap at between 4% and 1%.
As far as the disabled and the elderly are concerned, both Labour and the Liberal Democrats have disability-friendly policies. On the other hand, the Conservatives have nothing to offer except more cuts, pain and misery.
In 1982, I joined the Conservative party and never dreamed that I would ever vote Labour. However, my vote in this election is a vote for welfare and social care. It is a vote for the health service. A vote for people with disabilities. A vote for the elderly.
It is a vote for Labour, the number one caring party. I urge all of you who have a vote to care – and to vote Labour.
Labour: Care, cooperation and no cuts
On the issue of Europe, the UK needs a soft Brexit, , and needs to approach the negotiations with an attitude of co-operation, as promised by Labour, not Conservative confrontation. After all, there is an old saying that you catch more flies with sugar than with vinegar.
And we cannot forget crime and terrorism. Everyone is claiming they are the best to handle this, but only one party is saying that at the same time as they are cutting police budgets and the number of officers. And that’s the failed Conservatives who seem able to claim they provide a strong government when, in fact, their only strength is in making cuts that hurt ordinary people.
Tomorrow, UK electors, please vote for the best possible future for Britain and do your bit to stop five more years of the uncaring, self-serving Conservatives. Enough is enough!
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50shadesofsun.com is the personal website of Ian Franks, a Features Writer with Medical News Today. He enjoyed a successful career as a journalist, from reporter to editor in the print media. He gained a Journalist of the Year award in his native UK. Ian received a diagnosis of MS in 2002 and now lives in the south of Spain. He uses a wheelchair and advocates on mobility and accessibility issues.
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