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This is me who should get my vote?

15 replies

whogetsmyvote · 29/04/2015 15:37

Have NC for this as intend to give details about me in this post. I'm undecided who to vote for and have read manifestos and done quizes. If I outline my situation I'd really appreciate any input on who's policies would best benefit me.

I am 39 and married with one DD who is 3 and no plans to have more. Both dh and I work full time and DD is in nursery full time. We get child benefit, childcare vouchers and recently the early years funding. I earn £35,000 and dh £22000. It is likely in the next 5 years I will start to earn over the higher tax rate threshold. We live in a city in the south west. We plan to sell our house in the next 6 months to move to a more rural area with better primary schools as DD will start in sept 16. We plan to rent for around 5 years to save for a bigger deposit as once paid off debts won't have a huge amount left from house sale.

I work in HE administration and DH works in the leisure industry although he plans to become part time when DD goes to school either in current job or elsewhere if not possible.

We don't have many savings at present but both pay into good private pensions.

Which party would (from what they say) best benefit us. Things have improved for us in the past 5 years, not sure how much the government had to do with it though.

Thanks for any comments.

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TiedUpWithString · 30/04/2015 14:55

Sound like Conservative would work for you. You would get increased child care hours for your DD, there are no plans to fiddle with higher tax thresholds negatively and the scrapping of inheritance tax on homes under £1m would benefit your DD if you karked it.

However, rural services and links like sure start centres have declined in the last 5 austerity years with rural areas losing libraries, bus services, policing, waste collection etc.

It depends if you want to benefit you and your finances or your environment.

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robin4 · 30/04/2015 17:34

All of us need public services at some time, be it schools,liabrarys,NHS etc.
Tories have promise 12 billion cuts. Tory pledge for increase in child care is not until 2017-so not sure if yours will be at school then?

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minkGrundy · 30/04/2015 17:40

Plus the Tories are likely to attack/freeze child benefit, tax credit, vouchers and early years. But as you have 1 child you will be safe from some of that.

I'd worry about public services in a rural area though.

Lib dem?

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Socy · 01/05/2015 08:29

Is your vote just for you and your immediate family? Surely we should be thinking about what is best for the country/everyone?

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whogetsmyvote · 01/05/2015 10:36

Tbh my immediate family is most important to me. I can see good and bad things in all the policies, no matter which party. I can't see one that is best for all in all situations, so what is best for me and my family is a deciding factor. I do care about others and the country, but ultimately is does boil down to the most important thing in my life, my family. I don't see the logic in voting for a party who may benefit others but disadvantage me, I'm not that altruistic although I am sure some are.

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AlisonsWaiting · 01/05/2015 10:39

How about voting according to your principles?

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whogetsmyvote · 01/05/2015 10:53

I have a real mix of principles as parents are very liberal and alternative and I have strong green tendencies but had a private school education, including boarding via the assisted places scheme so believe in the value of private education. I now have a better paid job than my parents who chose to be self employed but relied on benefits to supplement their income, I chose to be employed and support myself since I was 18. So some principles point me towards green and others conservative, poles apart!

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EauPea · 01/05/2015 11:30

I am in rural south west and am really struggling to make a decision.

Down here is mainly split between tory and liberal, although polls suggest a tory whitewash.
I am tempted to vote Mebyon Kernow but I'm worried this could be a "wasted" vote, however if poll predictions are correct, a lib dem vote may be next to useless.

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Shouldof · 02/05/2015 11:50

You sound Tory through and through.

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Kampeki · 02/05/2015 11:56

I agree that you sound like a Tory. Of course, I'd prefer that you didn't vote for them, but from what you've said, the Tories are more in accord with your values than the other parties.

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blacksunday · 02/05/2015 20:16

Should you vote Tory? A handy flowchart...

twitter.com/pete_sinclair/status/581387885498249216

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ThisFenceIsComfy · 02/05/2015 20:22

Have a look at policies on education, renting, public services. All of which you are going to need in the future.

Voting is such a personal choice. Read up on the policies and take a balanced view on what you think will be important to you right now and what will benefit your DD in the future.

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blacksunday · 02/05/2015 20:52

Yes, if you value any of those things, don't vote Tory.

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enochroot · 02/05/2015 21:47

You have a 3 year old.

My DD was in school from 1997 to 2010.

The term after the 1997 election a new infant teacher appeared as promised in the Labour manifesto - parents had previously been fed scare stories about losing a teacher if Labour got in. This new teacher was terrific and set DD off in a direction which hasn't changed since.

DD had new school buildings and facilities popping up before her eyes throughout those years with generally good teachers & some really excellent ones as well as reasonably sized classes. The curriculum and exam system were integrated and rational.

I honestly believe she has received a better education in a comprehensive school than I ever had in a selective high school and she has already achieved academic success that I could never aspire to.

Her year group and the one after compared very well in world rankings for university entrance - and her uni fees were below £3500 a year. (Worse than the free university tuition in my day but still better than today's fees.)

If only the country still invested in making things and being innovative in arts and sciences these young adults could really make use of their degrees instead of looking abroad and despairing of ever being able to afford a place of their own here.

P.S.
If you move to a rural area with a child you are likely to find that your home broadband is not adequate, causing endless hassles accessing the school website for homework and study materials. The Coalition promised in 2010 that we would all have adequate broadband by 2015. We wait.....and wait.....

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MaryMotherOfCheeses · 02/05/2015 23:38

If you're planning on renting, you might want to think about how vulnerable private renters are, and how the current legislation is swayed so much in favour of the landlords. 11 million people are in private rented accommodation and with little security. Labour propose to cap rent increases and ensure landlords maintain properties. This would be in your favour.

And whether it's in your favour or not, (I have a mortgage so it's nowt to do with me) I know too many people who are struggling in rented accommodation, house prices are crazy, and we just need to sort out this country's obsession with home ownership.

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