Tell me why you are voting conservative this time

[Lilovoter]

Some of my reasons are:

• I want a smaller state
• I want a society that encourages aspiration
• Gordon Brown is odious and he and his team lack credibility and real backbone. They are frighteningly good at spin though!!!
• I want Labout out of government and a fresh start for Britain. I do not want a Liberal/Labour coalition.

Don't worry, Cameron will win. I know he will probably help the well off a little more than GB so in some ways, I don't have much to lose. But Let's see how he does on improving society as a whole.

Those who are saying they don't know Cameron were happy to put their trust in Blair. Hypocrites.

Nuclear families with jobs will be a start to improving society

Will he? I hope so.

I don't agree that he will help the well off more than the less well off. I think he will encourage aspiration and provide greater opportunites for social mobility compared to labour.

The media reporting seems to favour labour, anything negative re the conservatives gets hyped up, compared to anything negative by labour. Last time I looked the BBC had not picked up the story on the front page of the Times today re labour's disgraceful attempts to scare cancer patients by mail shotting them that a conservative win could affect their treatment options. Why not ? If the tories had done this there would be public outrage. But hey it is just another labour gaffe disgraceful episode, we are all so densensitised to these and accept gaffes, damien McBride, coup attempts as par for the labour course and they do not seem to be newsworthy.

MillyMollyMoo - but risk and an element of speculation are fundamental to the Capitalism that the Tories, and now Labour embrace.

The politicians are dishonest by not telling us the truth as to how much the UK earns by being one of the key global financial centres, salami slicing fees from global transactions.

Politicians and journalists patronise us and don't explain (maybe don't understand) the whole economic truth.

Lincstash - you really hate that Labour lot don't you?

Another thing - this constant harping about Cameron being an old Etonian is obviously total politics of envy. Do those people who bleat on about this actually know any Etonians?

I live fairly close to Eton and am on a dinner party circuit where members of the community dine with 6-8 Eton boys to give them an insight into the world beyond school and their immediate families. They aren't too interested in me (a teacher), but are with my husband (a manager in a major science-based multinational). I can safely say that I am confident to put my future in the hands of any old Etonian. The boys I have met are the most gracious, polite, interested, thoughtful, positive teenagers I have ever met. We could only afford day school for our boys, and they are not bright enough for the competitive scholarships - but that would have been a dream for them to go there.

MmeBlueberry - The economics of Milton Friedman that Osbourne espoused is not about job creation. Unemployment is a necessary evil for then infact. I think the Labour party is closer to Keynes who accounts for the cost of unemployment?

Labour values keeping the poor in the gutter and throwing them scraps that they have to be grateful for, while feathering their own nests.

Conservatives want to embrace everyone in a productive society.

In Labour's world, if anyone gets too big for their boots, they become Tory and that is a situation to be avoided at all costs.

" he will encourage aspiration and provide greater opportunites for social mobility compared to labour" - curious to know what does that mean in policy terms for the Conservatives?

We didn't do badly under centre left era of Clinton and Blair but let's sit back and give DCameron and Osbourne a go and see what happens. They are decent people even if they are the nice face of the nasty party. But let's see how we emerge after two years. I am confident that they will look after us lot a bit better than Labour. Why wouldn't they, we are they natural constituency.

Every day, of the working week, I try to make a buck for the family not thinking too often about the have nots. Of course I give to charity and do a little social stuff but I am focussed on stocking up for my DCs. But when I vote, I really try to think about wider society. I am sure that many of us do but I think that a lot of people don't.

I was a little less cerebral in my thoughts. A national insurance hike favoured by Labour will cost jobs.

Companies should pay their fair share tax-wise, but they should be taxed on their profits. They should not be taxed by the number of employees they have, because that will influence them to trim their workforces and not take on new recruits.

This is one of the craziest things Labour have ever come up with.

When a company makes profit, they can either 1) pay tax on it, 2) distribute dividends to shareholders, who will then pay tax, or 3) employ more people, who will pay income tax. Win, win, win!

Taxing jobs will not raise revenue because the jobs will disappear.

Blair went to Fettes, which is known as the Eton of the North. It's all hypocrisy, none of Labour's leaders are working class, they use the working class as a stepping stone to power. Old Etonians are also left-wingers e.g. George Orwell, Jonathan Porritt.

Journalists like Jonathan Hari, the champion of the proletariat who leads the rallying cry for class war, wouldn't last 5 minutes in a working man's club, before he was thrown out on his ear.

I'll vote for anyone who ends this bloody idea of entitlement - in my world you would have to work for everything you got unless there was a bloody good reason you couldn't.

If you aren't in education, employment or training then you are put to work to make society better be it litter picking or reading to an old person in a nursing home you don;t just get money chucked at you like evryone earning under 49k at the moment - takes the need to succeed away, if you know you are going to get your earnings topped up why bloody better yourself and get more qualifications or go that extra mile at work - I tell you why because if you do you won't get money chucked at you, you won;t even get a tax allowance - something else these this bloody government sneaked in!

And the goernment did not just giobve the banks mnoney - they have given effectively given them an asset backed loan - the government could stand to make in a huge way when the economy starts looking up.

Hear, hear, MC.

I have never voted Conservative and am still not sure I will do so in this election either. However, I always feel that when the chips are down then change is good - fresh faces and fresh ideas. Any govt seems to become sleazy and corrupt after a certain amount of time in power. I saw this with the Conservatives after their previous time in power and we now have it with New Labour. If there is a Conservative govt after the next election I won't be disappointed as such but I WILL be nervous about what it will mean for low income parents like myself who are reliant on some benefits to prop up a low income. Even worse I am a single parent (not by choice) so a ripe target for the Tory Press.

Now - who to vote for ........hmmm!

claig- the Eton and Fettes references are not relevant in my view. I don't think anyone on this thread is making these little points?

And yes, the Labour party will have to renew itself in opposition.

I am voting Conservative this time because I would sooner cut off both hands than vote anything else. Ever.

I am on under 49k - last time I checked my bank account there were not vast sums "being chucked" at me. "Better myself" - I have a degree and a child with a disability - not sure how I can improve things tbh.

And this is why the idea of a Conservative govt makes me nervous - people making judgements about me just because I happen to be on a low income. It's not about a "need to succeed" - as far as I am concerned I have bloody well succeeded in managing to hold down a part time job while supporting a child with a special need all by myself. If the gov't need to top up my income for me to manage this then so be it.

I agree that sitting on your bum doing nothing if you ARE capable of working is not on though.

PS MmeB, that's very interesting (and reassuring). Our DS's aim is to get a full scholarship to Eton!

JollyPirate, the Tories promote marriage but that doesn't mean that they don't care about single mothers. Davis Davis, who nearly became Tory leader, was the child of a single mother.

www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jan/24/marriage-tories-tax-breaks

Jollypirate - you would be one of the people I would think it ok to pay extra benefits too - I do think people need to realise that wheeling out the 'disability benefits' arguement everytime people moan about how much benefit actually gets paid out is a little tired now.

I actually think a tax break would be better for most low earners - would cost far less to administrate than the shite WFTC & CTC system in place now and you would get a greater portion of what you earnt.

My main bloody moan is though people having more kids whilst on benefits or being in coucil accomodation and having more kids and then moaning about overcrowding - our house would be overcrowded if I had 4 more kids but I don't because I actually have half a brain and wouldn't put us in that situation - especially if I wasn't earning the money to get us out of it.

In America you get paid the amount of benefits that you first get when you go on benefits regardless of the fact that you may have 5 more kids after first claiming - would make a lot of people be slightly more responsible when it comes to birth control (the way most of us who don'[t get benefits are) knowing that they are going to actually have to make a change in their life to fund that extra child rather than their benefits just going up.

claig- David Davis' background only proves that anyone can be right wing. Completely irrlevant. Prefer to argue about policy, issues, values etc.

TDiddy, forgive me I thought a few people had mentioned the Eton factor, and it is one of Gordon Brown and his gang's favourite attacks on Cameron

Alouiseg said
"Lots of people have reservations about an ex Etonion........
Personally I would rather have an ex Etonion than a pair of Scots feathering Scotlands nest with Englands profits."

and you yourself thought it was relevant enough to rebuke her with
"Clearly remarks about Etonians and Scots are light hearted as neither has anything to do with ability to govern etc.?"

So in my view Eton and Fettes do have a modicum of relevance

I think attempts to see the married tax break as against lone parents are just not the case.

Currently the system heavily favours lone parents but it also benefit traps them. Some of my friends are lone parents and whether they earn 40K or 10K the tax credit system means they have the same disposable income. It discourages aspiration. Why take on a more stressful, higher grade childcare demanding job when you will be no worse off and already struggling as a lone parent. I want a system that rewards aspiration and success not punishes and keeps people down.

Financially me and my dh would be better off if we separated. The married tax break will make no difference to me but I think it is an important step/statement. Ok very little of a giveaway as the country is broke but hopefully it will extend in time when times improve. It will support people who make a legal committment to each other civil partnership or marriage and as we all know finances are a major strain in any relationship as is both parents having to work. A bit of choice about these matters can only be a good thing

Rant over and apols for typos bedtime wailing calls.

TDiddy, I think the fact that David Davis came from a single parent family brought up on a tough council estate, means that he wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth and understands that life can be tough. He empathises with single mothers, as you will see if you read his article. So I think, once again, that it has a modicum of relevance.