So it looks like the Conservatives have a majority…

I never talk political on here, let’s be honest, cake is far more interesting and makes us all happy but I wanted to record this moment and put my thoughts down on paper.

Growing up in Belfast most people voted according to their religion so as a catholic I would probably have voted for Sinn Fein or the SDLP. I never got the chance to vote in an election back home as I the first election I was old enough to vote in happened when I was at uni. I didn’t vote then as I could only vote for an English party and at the time I didn’t know what my long term plans were for living in England.

When the election came round 5 years ago I just voted for Labour as Mr T is a staunch Labour supporter and I had always viewed the Tories in a bad light. The Lib Dems I had always seen as a wishy washy party who would say anything to get elected and I just couldn’t support a party with no backbone.

5 years later and for the first time ever I actually thought about voting for the Conservative Party. I work in the private sector and since they have come in to power I have had pay rises, bonuses (ok very small ones) and moved to a better job, all within the construction industry. With the Help to Buy Scheme making it easier for us when we come to buy later in the year I was tempted to vote for them but my gut and my heart wouldn’t let me.

I started thinking about the bigger picture. I have family who receive benefits but the Tories want to cut welfare and the bedroom tax makes me so angry. Mr T is a teacher and education has been badly affected in numerous ways by the Conservative Party. We plan to start a family in the coming years and if I am out of work it’s his salary we will depend on. I knew I needed to vote for a party that had the public sector at heart. Someone said to me maybe I’m conservative with a small “c” but I don’t think so. Yes I want the private sector to do well but the public sector is much more important. We are all reliant on public services and I pay my taxes to help everyone. I’ve realised I may like some things about the Conservative party but it’s not about me, it’s about the country as a whole and for them I think the Labour party would have been a better choice.

Unfortunately we have a first past the post system and the Conservatives have ended up with a majority of seats. I feel like my vote counted for nothing as it’s Lib Dem where we live. So frustrating!

I’m hoping things don’t get worse for the less well off members of society. It’s going to be an interesting 5 years and all we can do is hope for the best. I hope the public sector isn't dismantled by the Tories. We need Welfare, we need the NHS and we need Education. None of us know what's around the corner and one day we may need Welfare and the NHS but if it's not there what will people do?

Mr T is really upset about the outcome, all I can do is stay positive and hope everything turns out ok.

If you stuck with me til the end of this post – thank-you! Normal cake service will resume shortly!