14TH MAY

It's been seven days since that last post, seven days since I voted, seven days since I thought the election was going to be close, seven days since the exit poll that said, no, actually not close at all, It's been six days since I woke up at 5.30am and quickly checked the news on my phone, six days since I tried to go back to sleep to make it go away.

I grew up in Conservative country, where the only campaign signs around election time are blue, where Thatcher's time as Prime Minister was seen as a very good thing. But I moved away and quickly realised that I didn't want to be governed by those who care only about people just like them, that I didn't buy into the now pervasive rhetoric about 'hard working people' that suggests that if things are bad it's just because you aren't working hard enough; that says austerity is necessary; that the crash, that was caused by the irresponsibility of a small group of people in control of our money, should be paid for by those who have the least rather than through proper taxation of those who can most afford it. It makes me sad that anyone thinks the last five years have been working when we have a cardboard box in our office for donations to the local food bank, when people on housing benefit can't have a spare room because 'they can just move to a smaller house' even though no smaller houses are available because 'right to buy' sacrificed social housing in favour of individual gain, a pattern to be repeated very soon, a pattern that will see people being penalised because of a government that thinks the priority is abolishing the Human Rights Act, bringing back fox hunting, saying no to any increase in tax.

It makes me sad and it makes me hope that something will change in the next five years and there will be a better result the next time this rolls around. But until then we'll do what we can do and if you would like to do the same can I suggest starting here: http://www.trusselltrust.org/map