I live in a marginal constituency
and I don't know who to vote for.
I had sorta assumed my local candidates would want my vote, and therefore reply to the emails I have sent them asking to clarify various aspects of their policies affecting disabled adults.*
But they haven't.
This makes me sad.
I still don't know who to vote for. I do know that whoever becomes my local MP, representing - y'know - ME in parliament, they will be someone who has not given much thought to how their politicial decisions affect disabled people. At least, that is what the non-replies to my emails suggest.
And I am someone who is very, very politically engaged and actively wants to think about who I vote for and why. My life experience as a disabled person is not the only factor which will determine my decision, but I am selfish enough to hone in on the policies which affect me directly. I would like to understand what everyone I might vote for is offering me.
It seems they're not keen to tell me.
Or maybe they don't know.
Or maybe they're offering me nothing much at all.
Candidates: you have 72 hours to talk to me. Please do. Or I might lose my faith in the democratic process.
* NB: I didn't email all of them. I did read all their manifestos. Except the manifestos of the idiot parties. I only emailed the candidates who I still sort of wanted to vote for after reading that propoganda. The ones I thought might give disabled people a fair crack of the whip. It is these candidates who have ignored me. Which, frankly, is more depressing than if I'd blanket emailed them and they'd blanket ignored me.
This post was brought to you in honour of Blogging Against Disablism Day.
I had sorta assumed my local candidates would want my vote, and therefore reply to the emails I have sent them asking to clarify various aspects of their policies affecting disabled adults.*
But they haven't.
This makes me sad.
I still don't know who to vote for. I do know that whoever becomes my local MP, representing - y'know - ME in parliament, they will be someone who has not given much thought to how their politicial decisions affect disabled people. At least, that is what the non-replies to my emails suggest.
And I am someone who is very, very politically engaged and actively wants to think about who I vote for and why. My life experience as a disabled person is not the only factor which will determine my decision, but I am selfish enough to hone in on the policies which affect me directly. I would like to understand what everyone I might vote for is offering me.
It seems they're not keen to tell me.
Or maybe they don't know.
Or maybe they're offering me nothing much at all.
Candidates: you have 72 hours to talk to me. Please do. Or I might lose my faith in the democratic process.
* NB: I didn't email all of them. I did read all their manifestos. Except the manifestos of the idiot parties. I only emailed the candidates who I still sort of wanted to vote for after reading that propoganda. The ones I thought might give disabled people a fair crack of the whip. It is these candidates who have ignored me. Which, frankly, is more depressing than if I'd blanket emailed them and they'd blanket ignored me.
This post was brought to you in honour of Blogging Against Disablism Day.
posted by Katie at 10:44 pm
3 Comments:
Dang. That is depressing.
I've been trying the same thing and no joy either. All I know is the Tories are forcing everyone on IB to be 'rigorously' tested in a bid to save £200m.
Labour and the Lib Dems? No idea. Sigh. My Labour MP was hugely supportive whilst in office, but she's standing down and we've got an expenses goon in her place. My vote may be tactical just to stop a dickhead getting in.
I'd be happy(ish) to vote tactically but mine is a three way marginal - one of the most exciting races in the country, according to all newspapers, everywhere; woo! - so it's not obvious what I need to do.
Thus I should probably vote for the candidate I most believe in - there's a novelty - which is why I'd like them to speak to me.
I've discovered there WERE disability based hustings last week, but 1) I work, and they were at 2pm on a weekday, er... and 2) No one told me about them, I read the report in the local paper after the event. And the report said all the candidates believe in disability equality and think cars should not park on Brighton's narrow pavements.
So, um, that's nice. Social care? Benefits? Anyone?
Surely cars on pavements is a local council issue, not a national goverment issues.
I have two words. One is Off. The other is Fobbed. Or possibly something similar beginning with F.
Post a Comment
<< Home