These words were the political pistol shot which officially announced the start of the race, a race between the three largest parties in the country to convince us common folk that they should be in charge. A week ago the race for public support seemed intense but now that the date for the election has been announced, things seem to have gone into overdrive.
I'm not going to shower you with my opinion of who should be running the country because, firstly, you probably don't care what I think, but most importantly, I think that the political system is messed up. Let me explain. Democracy is when several parties put forward what they think is the bast way to run the country and then the people decide which of these ideals and strategies is best for the nation. However, looking at the news, campaign leaflets and adverts, all I can see are political parties who change their policies to gain support and win the election. It's a competition now instead of being a selection. Each party is looking out for itself by picking and choosing what will get them support, instead of what is truly best for the country. Take national insurance for example. Labour announce that to help claw back some of the crippling debt we've accumulated they will raise national insurance. In response to this the Tories say they'll half it, immediately gaining the support of dozens of businesses who don't want to see the higher insurance. Every time they're asked how they'll plug the £6 billion gap left from cutting the insurance they don't have an answer.
All I'm saying is that if you're reading this and have no idea (like many people) who to vote for look beyond promises said in the last couple of months. Wipe away the campaign slogans, the flashy smiles or pictures of the leaders cycling to work. Look at the lifeblood and history of what the party stands for before making a decision.
When the race comes to a close it'll probably be a photo finish but lets hope that when the results come in the winner will be able to keep running after the finish line and not just collapse on the track.
