Decision Day (or maybe not!)

Yep I've been AWOL again.  I've had 3 back to back days looking after Rory.  Poor thing has had a rotten cold and cough so no nursery for him.  He had conjunctivitus last week so Mummy and Daddy had already taken time off work so I stepped in this week and did an extra day.  He's gone to nursery today.  Hopefully he'll be ok.  He was a lot better yesterday in himself but still very runny nosed and dribbly.  He's just cut his canine teeth though so not that surprising.

Anyway I was thinking of just having a duvet day today.  Catching up on here, reading your blogs and just generally recharging my batteries.  BUT, I will have to get myself out at some point to VOTE.

Yes election day is finally here in the UK.  I think we're all sick of hearing about it and just want it DONE.  Although as to what the outcome will be - watch this space.  It's really hard to predict, although that's still happening.  It has been a very dirty battle with lots of smear tactics employed. 

There have been a number of live debates on TV plus various interviews but I must admit I haven't watched a lot of it.  I think we may well end up with a hung parliament, i.e. no party with an overall majority.  Then it will be a case of negotiating who will do deals with who to get some sort of Government in place and goodness knows how long that will take.

Or we could just be back to a Conservative Government.  Heaven help us!

My own local area has been Labour forever (not factually checked that but it's certainly feels like it) so if I didn't drag myself out of bed to go and vote it probably wouldn't make a great deal of difference but that's not the point!  Women went through horrendous ordeals to get the vote for women in this country and to not exercise your vote is just not acceptable.  Especially if you then want to have a say in the debate.  If we all opted for the "my vote won't make a difference" stance we would be a hell of a mess.  Personally I think it should be compulsory to vote as it is in some countries.  

I'd also like it to be able to be done online and for all those out there who claim that it could be subject to hacking, tampering etc are you really sure that paper ballots are that much more secure?

Right enough of the soap box for now.  Time I got my act in gear.  One of our local bars is holding an all night session for people to watch the results as they come in.  Personally I think I'll have an early night and try not to have nightmares about what I might wake up to tomorrow!

Post Election News

I'm tired.

Keeping up with how the election was going is tiring.  Heaven knows how the candidates and all those working around this major event cope.  Hopefully my daughter is now catching up on some sleep after working on her local count.


I didn't stay up awake all night but my bedroom TV did!  Hubby was away last night so I didn't expect to sleep well, I never do when he's away, especially since all the kids have left home.  I didn't go to sleep until really late and I did wake a couple of times and was able to review how things were going.

I'd like to think I'm still dreaming but unfortunately not.  Despite what the opinion polls were telling us the conservatives look to have managed to secure a majority to continue governing on their own.  (It's not totally decided yet but that's the prediction - as I'm writing they need 6 more seats with 15 still to declare.  For anyone who's not familiar with our system there are 650 MPs who sit in parliament so a party needs 326 for a majority.)

There have been major shifts in some areas, notably Scotland.  The LibDems who were the minority party of the former coalition have done very badly.  Labour just did not do well and several senior MPs have lost their seats.  My own constituency remained Labour as expected.  (If that had changed I really would have thought I'd woken up in an alternative world!)

Many people will be considering their futures this morning - welcome to my world.

 

Election Day 7/5/15

Today is Election Day here in the UK.

I am not an expert on politics but I have been to cast my vote as I agree that you can't complain about the system if you're not part of it.  My daughter is much more involved, she is currently working at a polling station and then going on to count votes. My hubby exercised the right to a postal vote as he's away in Lincoln for work today.  

I just had to get myself up and out to our local polling station. Fortunately I was expecting a shopping delivery early today so I needed to be up and dressed for that. I managed to cast my vote despite not realising until I checked my voting card that they'd moved the polling station!  Still within walking distance, the local church hall as opposed to the local junior school.

It will be interesting to see the outcome of the election but I suspect it will take longer than usual as no main party seems to have a chance of an overall win.  This is not what we're used to.  For so long it has been a two party race (between conservative  and labour) but during the last parliament we did have a coalition between the conservatives and lib-Dems. A coalition looks the most likely outcome this time but as to which parties can work together we will just have to wait and see.

My own MP is actually someone who was at the same secondary school as me at the same time. Hers is a fairly safe seat so I expect her to be re-elected although it will be interesting to see if her majority is affected by the rise in the UKIP party.  Hopefully not.

I went out to lunch at a friend's house, walking there and back so I've clocked up a over a couple of miles today.  Not yet doing 10000 steps a day but doing lots more that a few weeks back.

My gardener came today and she offered to assemble our new lawnmower and put it to good use.  Downside of that is that she didn't get as much weeding done today so that's my homework before her next visit.

Now I'm planning to relax.  It's been a good day.