Tell me why you are voting conservative this time

Especially as the Euro is currently unsustainable in at least 4 countries who need to set their own interest rates!

daysoftheweek, I think it's about principle. The Tories don't believe that the state has the right to such a large chunk of what people have worked all their lives to gain. The state has constantly got its hands in our pockets, and the Tories want to cut it back for all people, rich and poor alike. The amount of money that the country loses by his inheritance tax policies is not vety large, and it is the principle that people deserve what they work for that is worth fighting for.

I should say I quite like a lot of Liberal Democrat policy as well, though I dislike a lot too.

I am slowly being won over to the idea of Proportional Representation - though it doesn't work well for European elections. Any replacement system must let you vote for individuals standing locally rather than just a party though.

I like the idea of locally elected NHS chiefs, for the same sort of reason that I like the Tory plans for locally elected police commissioners.

Their education plans are basically the same as the Tories, with the pupil premiums - but with extra money. They do have more focus on early years though.

They have some good proposals on cleaning up lobbying etc in politics.

However, a lot of their policy falls apart straight away. They don't get scrutinised as much as Labour or the Tories, and it shows.

An example is their road to rail proposal last week - sounded brilliant, but was taken apart in seconds on the Today programme last week.

Their immigration policy is ridiculous - how will they check which parts of Britain the immigrants are going to?

Their sums don't add up. Of course, no party's sums add up, but the Lib Dems are the worst of the big three. They are promising a £700 income tax cut costing £20bn or so, funded by a mansion tax which will only bring in £1bn, and the rest from "closing loopholes", whatever that means.

And I could never vote for a party which wants to take us into the Euro.

Probably so he is not seen to be going back on his word.

Although the married couples tax allowance isn't worth the admin costs!. I have high hopes for inheritance tax though, it was never meat to catch out "ordinary people".

I do agree that DC is v. clever

I do wonder why he persists with things like inheritance tax and the tax break for married couples they surely can't be big vote winners and I suspect changing his mind might be.

My family have been massively stung by the Labour Party, by that I mean my extended family which consists of a fairly eclectic bunch.

I loathe what TB, Gb and co have done to this country and to my loved ones, I loathe the fact that my hard working parents cannot afford to retire at well past the age of 65, I loathe that my husband scrimped and saved to buy business premises that are taxed by way of business rates out of all proportion, I loathe that they have turned a blind eye to high frequency trading by the biggest banks after shoring them up with tax payers funds, i loathe the fact that the vat people sent the head of treasury to hound my dh over their mistake. I loathe the tax enquiry that added stress after stress to us during our ds's treatment for leukaemia. I loathe the fact that we cannot move house because stamp duty is prohibitive now. I loathe the fact that my in laws are so aware of their burden to us they are spending fortunes with financial consultants so that everything they worked for doesn't go in to GB's self made deficit.

I cannot wait to vote out the conceited Hitlers who allow drugs to be available in Scotland and Wales but not England.

HoochieMommaLurve,
"I'd rather chew off a limb than ever vote for that bunch of hypocritical, out of touch, fat-cat-loving, erm, people."

so it's the Tories or the Liberals for you

I am voting Tory because:

• I am more worried about the national debt and the long-term future of Britain than the short-term future. They have gone further in painful cuts than other parties - freezing public sector pay, cutting top-end public sector pensions, raising retirement age from 65 to 66, cutting child tax credits and child trust funds for families earning over £50k, etc.
• I like their strategy towards encouraging economic growth. They will keep National Insurance down, will cut corporation tax, and will give a tax holiday to the first few employees of startups.
• I think their schools policy is genuinely transformative and brilliant. It is basically Tony Blair's idea - but the Brownites in Labour wouldn't let Blair take on the teaching unions. The Conservatives would have no such compunctions.
• I like their dedication to transparency, publishing all government contracts and all government spending online.
• They will scrap ID cards and the ID database.
• I like the idea of elected police commissioners, who will be forced to concentrate on low-level crime like anti-social behaviour, burglary, and drug addiction rather than "sexy" crimes like counter-terrorism.
• I like their approach to professionals throughout the public sector - cut the red tape, forget dictating PROCESSES, and measure RESULTS instead.
• By applying electoral pressure in the 2001 election, William Hague kept us out of the Euro - otherwise we would be like Greece now.
• I support their stance on Europe. In the EU but very sceptical, wanting less federalism.
• I really love their green energy initiative where you get a company like Tesco to loan you £6k to insulate/double glaze your home, saving huge amounts on energy bills - but they are repaid by taking a proportion of the saving of the energy bills over the years.
• I like their national citizenship scheme for young people, and am very impressed that instead of just talking about it, they set up a charity to do pilot projects which are already running.
• They have many ex-military people as MPs, and will do a better job in Afghanistan, and in looking after the military.
• Cameron is a natural leader and communicator.

Those are my "positive reasons" - but of course, the main reason for voting Conservative is negative: to get rid of Gordon Brown!

The Tories are not perfect. I hate the idea of legalising foxhunting. They have bigoted idiots like Chris Grayling, who are fortunately a dying breed. I don't like their immigration proposals. I don't like the inheritance tax cut, even if it would only cost peanuts in public sector spending terms.

But no-one is perfect. They are so much better than Labour.

Ah well I don't see it as having been 'stung enough'.

I see it as being lucky enough to have a nice life and therefore not begrudging those who are less lucky than us being given a few breaks.

Think that just about sums it up really.

I come from a single parent family. I know what it is like to be poor. It's not very nice.

As a charitable act to Gordon. He looks ill.

loungelizard you could possibly be classified as a masochist. Have you really not been stung enough?

I am old enough to remember the Thatcher years (and before ).

DC and GO are mere babes in arms to me.

I am sure you think David Cameron is very clever to have got a 1st from Oxford, I am not quite as convinced.

Neither am I very convinced that his wife is considered 'normal' or possibly even a bit 'rough' as, gosh, she was a day girl at Malborough....

Oh dear.

Please don't assume we are all idiots because we haven't seen the light and need to vote Tory.

BTW My family are higher tax payers, middle class and tick all boxes for archetypal Tory voters etc etc

wow good info from oddschecker, it looks like the odds are about 1/7 for Tories to win, and 11/2 for Labour. That looks like a walk over

I don't "know" I left my crystal ball in my other handbag.

I just think Labour have committed some heinous financial cock ups, as they always do and it's time for a change. They micro manage and forget the bigger picture, they always have done and always will do and most have never worked in a proper job either.

lilovoter - do you work for the conservative party by any chance

Why do you think they will do any better??? What makes you think they are better able to manage the economy or education??

I am seriously worried about David Cameron and George Osborne being 'in charge'. Our only hope, if the Torys win, is that they are just nominally in charge and there will be some people who really know what they are doing pulling the strings.