An open letter to everyone who voted Conservative

[blacksunday]

To everyone who voted conservative yesterday,

I hope you’re happy. Actually that’s a lie, I really don’t. But before you sit smugly down and give yourself a big pat on the back I’d like to ask you a few questions.

Do you think you haven’t benefitted from the system you are currently trying to break down? As a child, did you ever go to hospital? Have you had an education? Did you ever use a library? Have you ever been on a bus? If so, you have benefited from a system which subsidises facilities with taxes. And now you have, you are willing to take it away from everyone after you. Correct me if I’m wrong but that doesn’t seem very fair. You cannot have socialism and a support system when you need it but then be unwilling to support it for other people.

Now if you are someone who has used the private sector more than public services then I also want to know a few things. If you went to private school, or used private medical care as a child, did you pay for it yourself? Now I’m not asking if your parents paid for it, but you personally. I’m guessing the answer is no. So can you genuinely say you worked hard to get these privileges? No baby earns the right to an education. No child works hard to be born into a particular family who can afford healthcare. So why do you think one person is more deserving than another? If you value working hard and getting on how can you see this as fair? Do you really want to live in a world where children are deemed more worthy of education and healthcare based on what family they come from?

If you are someone who uses a lot of private, who are you? Are you one of the 1% who are currently getting richer? If so, are you ok with the fact that your benefit is someone else’s misery, someone’s poverty, someone’s lack of care? Are you ok with the fact that while you got a pay rise 900,000 people had to go to food banks because they literally didn’t have enough money to feed themselves to survive? Do you really believe that you work harder than these people?

If you aren’t one of these few people benefitting from this system then why have you voted for it? Conservatives use rhetoric of working hard and fairness but this is simply not the reality. If you start life without a lot, to get out of that is hard. “Success” stories are pinned up to show that if you work hard you get somewhere. But they are stories because they are anomalies. To come from a background of little education or money and to get a career you want is not the common way, and you can’t do it without a benefit system. We do not live in a system where if you work hard you get somewhere, the system the conservatives are creating means that if you start off well off you stay that way. Because someone who goes to a private school with tiny class sizes and one on one help does not have to work as hard as someone at an underachieving state school with over worked underpaid staff and huge classes. They just don’t.

Now if you are either one of these types of people you have to question whether you really do believe in what you have voted for. Because in voting conservative you are saying you are happy with the last 5 years. You are endorsing food banks. You are endorsing cutting care for the elderly and the mentally ill. You are endorsing a party where over half the MPs voted against gay marriage. You are saying yes to the NHS being privatised. You are saying you are happy with people being put off education based not on ability or passion but by money. You are saying yes to victimising the poor and disabled and scapegoating people based on where they come from. You are saying that you are ok with the incredible inequality in our country today and you are saying you want more of it.

I do not wish poverty on anyone. It is a cruel and harsh life. But what I do wish for you is that you at least experience it. If not first hand, that you witness the harsh trapping reality that is poverty. The gruelling cycle that doesn’t allow a parent to feed their children. That doesn’t allow for parents to feed themselves. And that you see that this is people who are working. People with jobs. And if they aren’t I hope you see that a life on benefits is not the picnic people make it out to be. Nobody wants to be on benefits. Maybe if you see this you will see what you have voted for.

And if you are ok with all of this then you make me sick. I can’t put it any other way. I am so ashamed to come from a country where this is apparently what the majority think. That the majority of people are too selfish to accept any form of tax rise to support those in our society who need help makes me so incredibly sad. Truly you should be ashamed of yourself that you can so heartlessly put yourself first and not see the consequences. I hope that in the next 5 years you fully appreciate what you did yesterday. I hope you know what you have supported and I hope one day you feel guilty. Because I am scared of what the next 5 years will bring and you should be too.

What got dumbed down?

Education -- Gove had to scrap some of teh mickey mouse questns and raise standards and pass marks and reintroduce rgour and get rid of coursework for lots of exams. And then there are some of the Labour MPs themselves - have you seen some of them? Keir Hardie would be turning in his grave! He'd vote UKIP if he was around today when he surveyed the Labour Party of today.

'How did they make people feel guilty for doing well '

Have you read the OP. It's full of Labour style guilt inducing manipulation aimed at trying to stop people voting for aspiration and to vote for Oxbridge millionaires in Hampstead homes, trust funds in Liechenstein and tax-efficient inherited homes, who want to tax the squeezed middle who dare to stick their head above the parapet.

'what policies cause the stifling of aspiration?'

Anything that kills incentive and stifles initiative.

"SPY in the sky cameras could be used to slap higher council tax bills on householders who make home improvements.

Tax inspectors have looked into using satellite and aerial photographs to spot extensions, conservatories and other improvements, Whitehall officials confirmed last night.

The idea has brought a furious response from human rights campaigners.

Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, said: 'It's ludicrous. It's not only a waste of resources, it's a shockingly disproportionate interference with people's privacy.

'It seems now that an Englishman's home is no longer his castle if he puts a conservatory on it.'

The technology has been explored as part of Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott's plans to increase council tax bills for those who have extended or made improvements to their homes.

Labour wants to draw up a massive computer database on the value of millions of homes. The information would be used to review the council tax band of every home in the country - the first revaluation since 1991.

Under current rules, council tax bills are not affected by improvements made to a property. But ministers believe those who have overhauled or extended their homes should face bigger bills. Even having an attractive view could mean having to pay more.

The suggestion to use satellite cameras appears in a document from the Valuation Office Agency, which is responsible for overseeing the revaluation. Its booklet entitled the Mass Appraisal of Real Property says: 'Aerial photographs are another way to spot new construction.

'Comparison of property records against aerial photographs can identify unreported improvements. Using current technology, computers can even compare aerial photographs of the same area at different times and highlight new improvements, for example a new garage or pool.

'It may be feasible to determine the type of structure and approximate square footage from the photographs.'

www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/news/article-1595711/The-new-council-tax-spy-in-the-sky.html

Well, the demonisation of the rich, being and acting working class being a badge of honour, 'bosses' being evil, but working for the State is the greatest thing you can do, private sector bad, public sector good etc.

For me personally, I don't feel that I have experienced a lot of what you have just described. I also think that society itself - all of it, not just the govt - is responsible for how different things are perceived as good/bad. I think we have wider problems as a society than just poor government.

I not a labour voter or supporter. I think the labour govt followed by the recent Con/Lib coalition has run down and then savaged the education system. I wholeheartedly believe that the conservative manifesto policies on education will not help or improve matters. In fact a lot of the statements are so vague as to be meaningless anyway. This is probably true of each major party's manifestos though, tbf.

Going back about four pages, (I came a bit late to this pity party):

How can you disagree with blacksunday's list? All of the following are in the Conservative manifesto:
....
attacks on immigrants
The Conservative manifesto promises controls on immigration; robust enforcement; a cap; and restricting benefits.
I really do NOT understand how 'controls on immigration' and 'a cap' are the same as 'attacks on immigrants'. This is a crowded island with a housing shortage. It's just this sort of daft rhetoric that makes me block my ears and wander off at family gatherings when the left-than-thou members start preaching at the benighted from the moral high ground.

I'm neither a Tory nor a UKIP voter, btw. I'm not terribly impressed at the result. But I detest being preached at.

lefter -than-thou
Arse.

Gove has tried to increase standards. he took a lot of flak because results for the transitionary year dropped and grades dropped, but he did it for the future. It couldn't go on as it did, with examination boards running courses that sometimes indicated what questions or topics would appear on some of the papers. Education is too important for a Labour egalitarian "prizes for all" approach where grades spiralled ever upwards while employers claimed that interviewees were getting worse in English and maths.

But ultimately the difference between Tory and Labour is freedom. Anything that stifles freedom harms the incentive of people to progress and the empowerment of people. A group of Oxbridge graduates who have never had a job and have inherited the money they have, have no right to tell the people that they have to put their pensions in annuities or not.

An unfree world is a closed world where openness and ambition are curtailed. A compulsory voting system is not free. The current modernising Tory Party is not perfect, UKIP have more true Tory instincts of freedom, but the Tories are far better than the social planners from Hampstead in Labour.

Richard Littlejohn says we "dodged the bullet" in this election, but luckily we "dodged the real bullet" in 2010 when Labour were riding high, had the wind in their sails, thought they could banish boom and bust and go all out for their socialist paradise.

"Labour is creating a police state, says former spy chief

A former spy chief last night accused Labour of turning Britain into a 'police state' by cynically exploiting the public's fear of terrorism.

Dame Stella Rimington, the first female head of MI5, warned the Government was playing into the hands of extremists by eroding our civil liberties.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1147077/Labour-creating-police-state-says-spy-chief.html

Labour's ""education, education, education" and their ridiculous targets of getting x% of young people into university was destructive.

What has happened as a result is a generation of 'graduates' with worthless degrees. My cousin has an 'honours degree in fashion branding', she paid no tuition fees or costs other than accommodation - she works in a call centre. She could work in the call centre without her Mickey Mouse degree, and she still has only a tenuous grasp of spelling & grammar.
Degrees should be for the academically talented so that they mean something, they shouldn't be a big free for all.

Labour devalued the worth of skilled tradesmen. By insisting that a degree level education was the be all and end all, they disenfranchised a generation of young people who had no interest or passion for academia; these people were written off at school as they didn't 'give good league table'.

Labour penalise those who better themselves - their houses, their level of seniority at work etc. By introducing tax credits they effectively supplemented the level of a person's wage until it was near as dammit the same as the higher seniority levels in the same workplace.
People stopped aspiring to promotion because with it came longer hours/increased responsibility with not much more remuneration.

Labour tied so many people to the state's apron strings, it has made it almost impossible for them to cut free.

Tony Blair and New Labour started the rot, the rest of them have carried it on.

I'm a single mum with 2 DDs. My marriage broke down not so long ago. I don't get benefits. I work full time, long days and earn a reasonably good salary but I'm by no means rich. I fully accept that I have to pay my way in life for me and my DDs. For us Labour and tax increases would have been a disaster. Nobody wants to see people live in poverty and I think there should be help for those who can not work due to ill health but I think it is equally wrong to keep taking money from those who work hard to make a better life for themselves to give it to those who don't. The idea only rich people pay the benefits bill is totally dreamt up. Those who are truly rich usually have very good accountants to make sure they as little as possible. I feel optimistic about the future and I'm not ashamed about it.

Claig: I think you are probably wasting your time. The OP isn't looking for a political debate, she is merely Virtue Signalling.

As she says: " if you are ok with all of this then you make me sick. I can’t put it any other way. I am so ashamed to come from a country where this is apparently what the majority think. That the majority of people are too selfish to accept any form of tax rise to support those in our society who need help makes me so incredibly sad. Truly you should be ashamed of yourself that you can so heartlessly put yourself first and not see the consequences. I hope that in the next 5 years you fully appreciate what you did yesterday. I hope you know what you have supported and I hope one day you feel guilty. Because I am scared of what the next 5 years will bring and you should be too."

What is she saying in her "letter"? That she is not selfish and heartless like the people who dare to vote Conservative. She is, therefore, a truly compassionate person and no doubt enjoys the warm inner glow of knowing she is morally superior and truly Virtuous. Of course, it would seem somewhat smug and boastful to come right out and say such things, so she will do so in a roundabout way.

'so she will do so in a roundabout way'

Absolutely. That is what Labour are all about - stitching up the majority in a roundabout way. Look at their election campaign - scare tactics. The Tories are going to dismantle the NHS, UKIP are going to privatise the NHS etc when neither were true.

The NHS is the only card Labour have got and they keep playing it and playing it but when anyone mentions Mid Staffs, they all go quiet.

I think the fact that Labour is the party of the NHS is a seriously bad joke. Our local A&E was closed and mothballed under Labour as well as our local Maternity unit.

Our local GP has started offering one late night per week and Saturday morning appointments for commuters for about a year or so... Big improvement imo..

OP Labour had the election in the bag and they threw it away. If any of the disasters that you and the other doom and gloom merchants predict do come to pass in the next 5 years, Labour must take its share of the blame as well.

Labour most certainly did not 'have it in the bag' in the South East. I'm in one of those constituencies where they have had a good election if they manage to come third.

The Lib Dems ought to have romped home for my constituency but they blew it when they went into coalition with the Tories and then reneged on their promises about tuition fees. They have not been forgiven. How long will it take to win back support? Probably a generation.

In fact Labour did have a good night here, coming third, and second in the neighbouring constituency.

Labour had it in the bag? .

Only on MN, eh?

Nope. The decent, hard working people of this country were quiet - only the Left ( as usual) were shouting us down and when we had the chance to vote - we voted!!!

Harriet Harman said this morning that Labour failed to get the message across. I disagree with her, they got the message over loud and and clear and the electorate didn't like it.

There are a few places I think labour went wrong, but they never had it in the bag.

Firstly, I think there was an image crisis for Ed M and he never really got past it. I'm absolutely not a floating voter but I think if I were I would struggle to vote for him for a number reasons. He doesn't come across as a statesman. He doesn't have charisma or gravitas. There was the stuff with his brother and his relationship with the trade unions. You could debate the rights and wrongs of voting on the personality of a leader rather than the policies, but ultimately it does impact.

Secondly Ed Balls failed massively. He is apparently an intellectual heavyweight and all round nice guy. Well this most certainly did not come across. He's also struggled with image. He's seen as a bully, which by all accounts is not true, but who ever cared about the truth? He should have been much more visible. This election was always going to come down to the economy and he should have been their trump card, not the weakest link. They completely failed to make an economic case.

Thirdly, they don't listen. And judging by the threads on here recently this is as much a trait of their supporters as the party leadership. The electorate is the point. They are who you are representing. Governments and MPs are servants. If you stop listening, then it doesn't matter how morally superior you think you are, you're not going to get in. The millions of people who voted Conservative are not all rich (I'm certainly not). The millions of people who voted for UKIP are not all racists or bigots. When you think you know better than the electorate you will fail because you are completely missing the point of democracy.

He is apparently an intellectual heavyweight and all round nice guy

WHATTTTTT??? In whose opinion?? Words fail me on that one.

He should have been much more visible.

No. Just no. If that's what people think is the solution. Bloody hell. There were people who support Labour cheering him loosing his seat!

Thirdly, they don't listen. And judging by the threads on here recently this is as much a trait of their supporters as the party leadership.

Well yes. And if your supporters are going Ed Balls is a cock and I can't stand them, perhaps making him more visible isn't a good solution anyway as everyone has already made up their minds about him being toxic. But the leadership didn't listen to the opinion polls about Ed and Ed being not a particularly winning brand.

'He is apparently an intellectual heavyweight and all round nice guy

WHATTTTTT??? In whose opinion?? Words fail me on that one.'

Are you denying that he is a heavyweight?

'Bloody hell. There were people who support Labour cheering him loosing his seat! '

Precisely, most of the Shadow Cabinet by the looks of it.

By all accounts Ed Balls is pretty unpopular amongst his own colleagues, which is quite telling, I think. He was conspicuous by his absence in the campaign, as was Gove, to be fair. Both of them raise the hackles of the public.

The Tories are in power because the electorate didn't want the Labour Party in power as simple as that. Also UKIP voted Tory to keep Labour out. UKIP still amassed nearly 4 million votes.

The Labour Party despite repeated requests did not write an article for the Independent and small business magazine, this magazine is sent to 4 million small businesses. The comment Ed Miliband gave to this magazine was the following "The rise of self-employment could in part be evidence of growing insecurity in the labour market". All other parties gave a full page outline of their views on small business and it's future. Aspiration was not Ed's strong point.

Ed Miliband ignored votes on the question of EU referendum, he knows best and stated he would not give a vote on this very serious matter.

Immigration; refused to say how much immigration he would allow.

In other words, hopeless.............

I just hope the Labour Party, pick Chuka, the metrosexual, egotist, then they will truly be finished.

ironmaiden999 what is the word on the ground about Farage?

Is he tricking the metropolitan elite, lulling them into a false sense of security by feigning to retire from leadership, only to take it right to them in September by announcing that he is back in the fray or is he really eaving UKIP to take them on on their own?

Is he doing a Muhammed Ali, retreating to the ropes only to hit them with a sucker punch when they least expect it or is he leaving the People's Army to take them on all alone?

By all accounts Ed Balls is pretty unpopular amongst his own colleagues, which is quite telling, I think.

That's interesting because I've heard the exact opposite. That his bad reputation is not deserved. I've never met him though, so I can't really say.

No. Just no. If that's what people think is the solution. Bloody hell. There were people who support Labour cheering him loosing his seat!

So it's a smart idea to fight an election that is focused so heavily on the economy by hiding your candidate for chancellor? Sorry that seems bonkers to me. If you think he's not the right man for the job, boot him out in advance, otherwise have the balls (sorry, couldn't resist the pun ) the back up your decision. Don't try to hide it away. How can the general public be expected to have faith in him if the party doesn't?

David Lammy has now said we have no problems with immigration in the Uk because lots of green fields in the countryside don't have any houses o them yet.

Sp spaketh someone so woefully out of touch it beggars belief. And no, you can't build on all those green bits, idiot, because it's farmland.That you know, belongs to someone. Which is why no farmers will ever vote Labour.
Mind you, he's a metroploitan lefty so he probably thinks Waitrose grows his pre packaged artichokes out the back.

Harriet Harman said this morning that Labour failed to get the message across. I disagree with her, they got the message over loud and and clear and the electorate didn't like it.

Yup - in a nutshell!