I really appreciate that you have left this message and I'm sorry you have to leave it anonymously, I would not have hounded you or started a direct (or indirect) personal attack but expressing an opinion online can be risky and I understand why you have done it.

I am going to re-read you comment a few times and digest and take something away from it, I want to be a balanced person who considers other peoples views and I can work on this.

I don't think the government have got us through the recession, a lot of people aren't feeling better off and on a personal level a acquaintance with a terminal illness, limited movement and who has lost the ability to speak had benefits sanctioned because they were deemed fit for work and they were not. I think a lot of sanctions and cuts are ideological and not simply about getting us out of the recession. In 1997 Labour inherited a deficit of 3.9% of GDP and by 2008 it had fallen to 2.1%. The deficit was then exacerbated by the global banking crises after 2008, I don't agree that one party was to blame for a global economic crisis.

You definitely have to vote in your own interests and do what you feel is right. I could never vote for any party who wanted to erode workers rights, cut funding in areas like mental health provision, increase tuition fees again, promise to cut £12bn in welfare but not say where this is coming from and scrap the human rights act. I will always find it difficult to justify balancing the books over the needs of people who are suffering. Even if voting for another party would mean my family was better off I would always want to vote for fairness for all.

This post was meant to turn my anger and frustration into something positive and I hope it has done that. I don't want to be an angry person.

Really appreciate your reply, and of course do not want to turn your positive blog post into anything negative. Of course we can only base our opinions/votes on our personal experiences. I am in a very fortunate position to have my health, be employed and be self sufficient and I have voted for what suits me right at this minute, but would not count myself as a definite tory voter for life or anything.

I didn't mean to imply it'd you who'd do the 'hounding'! Twitter is a bit heated right now with many people not getting an outcome they'd hope for.

I absolutely admire your passion, your reply, opinions and this blog post have given me something to think about also, in my fortunate position to think of others more. Thanks :)

I just wrote another really long reply and it's disappeared. Nightmare. I've just read this which has some interesting points http://clothescamerasandcoffee.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/a-few-thoughts-on-general-election.html I think reading more about the fallout of this election, generally being more informed and consuming all types of news right wing, left and independent will help inform me and be a good base for all future opinion.

Hi Jade,

I didn't unfollow you because you voted for the Tory party, I didn't want to become more angry. You don't need my anger and I don't want those feelings and I didn't want to say something I regretted when I was so upset about the struggle vulnerable people will face in the next five years.

I follow people with mixed political views, especially people voting for the national parties. I wouldn't not engage with someone because they have different views. It's essential that I speak to as many people as possible to get a balanced view.

I'm in full time employment, my family shop owners and small business owners. Even though some business rates and policies of the Tory party would be beneficial for them we have always voted for fairness for all. I feel like I have to voice my opinion against a silent majority because the press is so overwhelmingly right wing. For me biting my tongue would not be a very moral thing to do. I want to be more active in highlighting injustice.

My statement was not about how much people earn, being rich doesn't make someone a mean person, being born into privilege doesn't mean anyone is automatically going to vote one way or another. Tony Benn being a good example of that. People like Iain Duncan Smith refuse to meet food bank charity and accuses them of 'scaremongering' doesn't really know about struggle. The party have cut funding for victims of domestic violence and cut legal aid so people can't get justice. I find it hard to accept that people who vote for a party with that agenda are caring but if more people like you chat to me then it will help me understand why people think differently to the way I do.

I'm sorry if I upset you. I'm happy that lots of people I only ever talk to about fashion and beauty have now said they want to help out in their local community and take more direct action.

I wasn't going to comment because I didn't know if you'd want me to but honestly I'm so glad I did. It's as important for me to chat to you as it is for you to chat to me because I don't know everything (obviously!) and although I might not see the struggles first hand it's imperative that I know exactly what's going on rather than relying on heavily biased media (which in my opinion is a large part of the reason why the election has gone the way it has).

I'm honestly so looking forward to seeing what you do in your community and in the wider community, fighting for what you believe in.

P.S. Apology accepted, I was upset but I definitely understand your point of view and why you were so angry and exasperated at the time x

Just read your post (here if others want to read it http://distractmenowplease.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/moaning-isnt-enough-anymore-my-election.html)

I think a good way to get involved without joining a party is speaking to your MP, MEP or councillors if you have any issues of concerns. Asking to be signed up to their newsletters is always useful too. There are also lots of local groups not affiliated to parties like this one http://www.thepeoplesassembly.org.uk

We can do this!

Very true Louise, if we are unhappy we have to let it be known and do something about it. Only 33% of the 66% of people that voted wanted the government we have so we have to make sure we speak up, they are not the voice of the majority.

Thank you for you kind words Lucy. I know whichever party you join will be lucky to have you, knowing what issues are impacting on teachers is always valuable information.
I hope that even if people don't want to join a party they will speak to their MP more. Been sanctioned unfairly? speak to your MP. I'm going to have a chat to mine about what we can do to help women in NI who are not legally allowed to have an abortion for any reason at all which I think is a basic human right. I'm also going to try and read the minutes from council meetings or attend some if I can so I get more of a grasp of what is going on in my area.

Totally agree about the EU, Wales receives £70 more per person from the EU budget than we put in, equating to a £120m surplus. The EU is good for business. UKIP MEPs often say that 75% of our laws come from Brussels. In reality this figure is more like 8-10%. Laws are not "imposed" by Brussels but agreed by UK Government ministers in the Council and MEPs in the European Parliament. The European Union only has full legislative powers in certain areas - for example the single market, competition policy, agriculture and fisheries and therefore it's actually quite difficult for the EU to "meddle" in UK law.

I spent a lot of time delivering leaflets and campaigning in 2011 for AV and I was shocked by how people just didn't care. There are elections in the Assembly next year and I think everyone should be thinking about what their AM does for them and what we want from Wales.

I know the Human Rights Act will stay in Scotland because it's part some some legislation they drew up in 1998, would be nice if we could have the same in Wales.

My post isn't about Labour. It was supposed to turn negativity into positivity and encourage people to become active in anyway they like even if it's being more involved in their community on a really small scale level.
I've seen a lot of moaning pre and post election from many people including myself and that really doesn't achieve anything. You don't need to share my faith in anything or the political system but I don't think that by encouraging people to be more active/vocal/engaged I have done anything out of line. If no party truly represents you that doesn't mean you can't write to your MP to complain about their party, ask them to resolve a problem in you area or ask them to raise a point in the Commons.

I was not a member of the party in 2001 but I am now and hope that if members are vocal we can influence the direction of the party. I went to university from 2005-08 and it was free for me through a mixture of WAG grants. When it was proposed that the fees should be hiked to £3,000 per year, it created a bigger backbench rebellion than any other controversy, including the Iraq War. Not everyone in the party agreed with it and if members are vocal enough hopefully we can influence things. I may be naive on that point but I would like to give it a go.

You've done nothing wrong in encouraging people to get involved in any way they see fit, and I apologise if that's the impression I've given. You are quite right to promote political involvement and I applaud that about your post

But with respect, I never said your post was about Labour, although I think you're being a little disingenuous there. The quote was from your reply to the first anonymous comment. I'm glad university was free for you, I sincerely am - I'd have liked it to have been free for me too, and I'd like it to be free for all who attend, although I'd like attendance to vastly reduce in favour of vocational training and a move away from seeing a degree as a the final step in the educational conveyor belt. That's why I marched, all those years ago, in protest.

I'm glad that you're sufficiently motivated and involved to be a member of the Labour party, I admire anyone who is that active. I would have considered myself a Labour supporter before the tuition fees debacle (I was too young to vote too) and have never naturally identified as a Tory voter but I have never been able to get past the complete 180 they did and I guess to see you mentioning tuition fees as a reason why you could never vote Tory both tickled and frustrated me.

Had to google disingenuous then... It really wasn't my intention.

Totally agree on your point about vocational training, I was pushed into University and was sold the untruth that it is the ultimate goal and aspiration. Vocational training schemes need an overhaul so they are seen as a viable and prestigious alternative that lead to secure employment and gaining useful skills.

I don't know where I stand on tuition fees in regards to eduction being completely free because I don't have enough knowledge about the funding of HE. I think it should be free and it works in Scotland so in theory it should work here but I've skimmed things like the Browne Review that recommend not capping fees. I had a free education and wouldn't want people to be put off pursuing education because of the fear of debt but I don't know how goverments pay for it. It seems odd that the current scheme will mean that only 45% of student loan debt will ever be repaid. There must be some shuffling and change that can be made as the current system doesn't seem to suit anyone. I'm sure the cost of nonsense like Trident (not toeing the party line there) would cancel it out and mean that fees could be scrapped.

I guess my poorly explained point about tution fees was in relation to proposals to put them up again so that Russell Group Universities could charge £12-20k for degrees and create a two tier system. I am very much against that.

12-20k per year, not for the whole degree.