Why I wont be voting Conservative and why the last thing this country needs is 5 more years of

Conservative rule.
Joe Burroughs 28th April 2015
I have defended the Conservative party in this coalition government for the best part of the last
three years. I have repeated the phrase long term economic plan like a robot, and blamed Labour
for the 2008 financial crash on an almost daily basis. My alliance with the Conservative party has
survived for years, and in many ways at this critical juncture should be at fever pitch, if the
supposition is that this election is the most significant in a generation. However, over the past
couple of months, and more specifically the duration of the election campaign my support and even
ideological coherence with the Tories has all but collapsed. The Conservative election campaign
has been nothing short of disgraceful, but the collapse of support lies deeper, it is to do with the
very socioeconomic mindset of our nation, and the different parties that want to run it. Crucially, the
electorate must ask, what exactly is a vote for the Conservative party?
What is a vote for the Conservatives? Well, recalling the propaganda phrases for a moment, one
might suppose it is a vote for economic security, for economic responsibility, and for a surplus
economy. Those phrases have one common denominator, the word economy. This runs to the
heart of my issue. Now, the economy is the underlying factor in almost every facet of our politics.
Generally, I would agree with the premise, that a strong economy underlies a strong NHS,
employment market etc, and the evidence supports this. However, it is an absolute fallacy to
suggest that the only way to achieve this sort of strong economy is through a Conservative
government. Surplus is the key word here. Getting the economy out of the red and into the black.
Now, no serious party denies the desire and eventual need for surplus, however the Conservative
party seems to have some sort of morbid fascination with the word. The Conservative plans would
see the economy into surplus by the close of the decade. By contrast, Labour have promised to
balance the books by the same point in time. The Conservative party argues that surplus will lead
to more jobs, more disposable income, better standards of living, and so on. They are wrong. Here
lies the moral bankruptcy of the Conservative party. The Conservative plans would see us abandon
all else in favour of pursuing the dream of surplus. Abandon any commitment to the NHS, to
education, to defence, to welfare, to social service, the list is endless. All in favour of the magical,
mystical dream land of surplus, where Dave and BoJo are sipping margaritas, topped up with the
tears of the poor. We must ask what price are we prepared to pay for surplus, which incidentally, is
not coincidental with economic security and stability, despite what the Tories say. Lets leave aside
for a moment the fact that the promise of surplus is completely unfounded and likely impossible,
and consider what a Britain, under the Tories, in surplus looks like in 2020. Surplus Britain, as one
might call it, would indeed be a Britain which is in growth again. But growth for whom? Growth for
business leaders, executives in London, Bankers and Class A/AB professionals. In general, a Tory
sprint toward surplus would reward the top of our socioeconomic ladder. This is significant because
these people are those who do not rely on the NHS, don't rely on a penny of state benefit, don't use
public transport and don't use state education for their children. Left by the wayside by surplus
would be those at the other end of our socioeconomic ladder. Those who rely on state healthcare
and welfare checks to survive. Those who have no choice but to send their kids to the bog

standard comp down the road. The Tory party claiming that these people would be better off in
Surplus Britain is a frank lie. The evidence, undisputedly, shows that in order to achieve surplus by
the turn of the decade, crippling cuts to all the services and institutions discussed and more would
be the only way to achieve such surplus. As such Conservative plans for the economy may seem
like the simple, responsible thinking they present it as, but in actual fact it serves only to increase
the economic segregation in our society that is rapidly becoming the socioeconomic crisis of the
21st century. I personally know how easy it is to be drawn in to Conservative thinking on the
economy, how easy it is to look down a jeering nose at left wing economic policy, and to blame
parties for events out of their control. However, when one takes a broader perspective and
considers the sheer audacity of Conservative plans, it is easy to taste the distinct whiff of Tory
induced inequality. Surplus Britain would be an unmitigated disaster for the nation.
This charge of the light brigade toward surplus would be bad enough, if it weren't for the fact the
Conservatives have decided, in order to win the election, they need to spend all the increased
revenue surplus will supposedly bring, before we even get there. It is a stark demonstration of
election headline grabbers, that cant and won't actually come to fruition. How ironic it is that the
Tories have spent what seems like eternity attacking Labours economic credibility, and now it is
their manifesto that stinks of un-costed spending and covered borrowing. Under Conservative
plans, investment will not be going into the areas which our country needs the most in order to
strive toward a more equal society. Housing, welfare and public services are all areas which will
collapse under Conservative spending plans. Lets also discuss the fabled European referendum
which the Tories have pledged. For a party that shouts down our ears about how economically
sensible and trustworthy they are, it beggars belief that the Conservatives have pledged a
referendum which will plunge our economy into insecurity, put the jobs of thousands at risk, and
take a gamble on one of the most important institutions of the 21st century. Now, more than ever
before, behaving like impetuous children in Brussels is the wrong approach. With the defence
concerns over Ukraine and Putin and the situation spiralling out of control in the Middle East,
Europe must stand together now, united in levels not seen since 1945, to provide a strong bulwark
against the dangers of the modern world. Risking that because the Conservatives have a hangover
grudge from the eighties over Europe is madness. Even if the Conservative plan for the economy
was sound, which it is clearly anything but, their plans on Europe should be enough to make
anyone who believes in strong defence, unity and teamwork, to not vote to put Dave and his
cabinet of babies spitting their dummies out, back into Downing Street.
If the Conservatives are allowed to plough toward surplus, then make no mistake, the country will
be left behind. Id like to now tackle one of my biggest personal gripes with Conservative economic
policy at this election. Strong defence is perhaps generally associated with right wing parties. At
this election, one of the main Conservative attacks has been on Labours ability to maintain our
national security, if they have to work with the SNP. This is one of the biggest cases of political
hypocrisy at this election. Conservative economic policy would see our national security and
defence capability canned, in exchange for a one way ride to surplus, on the backs of vulnerable. It
is impossible under Tory spending plans that our military will get the expenditure it needs to be able
to effectively combat the military threats of the modern world. The Tories would like you to believe it
is a choice between Trident with them, and scrapping it with Labour. In my opinion, Trident is more

at risk under the Conservatives that under a Miliband government. Labour have said in no
uncertain terms, Trident is here to stay under a Labour government. The difference is, they have
the economic plan to support that claim, the Conservatives do not. How can we elect a party that
will put a drive toward a false economic goal over keeping our people safe? National security
should be at the top of the agenda, The USA had already voiced serious concerns over Britain's
defence capability because of Conservative cuts and we are rapidly getting to the point where our
military will be so small it will be irrelevant. Our Armed Forces cannot take another Conservative
Strategic Defence Review, and it cannot take 5 more years of Tory leadership. This problem is
perhaps best explained by the defence situation, but it is not exclusive to defence. Under
Conservative plans, the Health Service will get no where near the expenditure it needs. The drive
to surplus will leave more people behind and in need of care, but the NHS wont have the funding to
provide that care. We have already seen the NHS plunged into crisis under Cameron, and those
cuts that we all know have to happen, but the Tories haven't said where they will happen? You can
be sure they involve pulling more and more of the public sector out of the NHS, and plunging more
and more private enterprise in. Why would we put at risk the best healthcare system in the world,
just for the sake of reaching an economic goal only the wealthiest will benefit from? The same
applies to welfare. As the Conservatives cut and slash more, and refuse to deal with real issues
such as exploitative zero hours contracts, more and more people will become dependant on state
help. Under the Tories that state help will be gradually removed as they attempt to maintain the
falsehood that the economy is in the clear again. This will plunge even more of the poorest and
most vulnerable in society into further poverty, and serves to grow the socioeconomic gap in our
country, in favour of the wealthiest. We know that Education is the best vehicle on the
socioeconomic ladder, and it is deplorable the Conservatives are ready to put even this at risk in
order to drive our economy forwards. Instead of dealing with education quality differential by putting
direct funding in to our schools, in the areas that need it the most, the Conservatives have solved
the issue by handing it to their old mucker, the Private sector. Free schools are a doorway to
biased, radicalised and non-standard education, and they are perhaps the worst education policy
move of the last half century. Consider this Mr Cameron, if we put direct funding into making sure
the worst off in our society get a good education, then more of those kids will go to University, go
on to graduate careers, earn more and pay more tax, thereby neutralising the initial investment and
contributing to our economy, encouraging growth and reducing inequality all at the same time! Not
complicated is it, Mr Cameron, Mr Gove? I think not. Lets briefly discuss housing. Bringing back
right to buy is the worst policy at this General election. Not even Green defence policy can be
tantamount to the stupidity of Tory housing policy. Designed to perhaps evoke some classic Tory
passion from those oh so wonderful Thatcher years, right to buy will do exactly the same as it did in
the eighties - namely, increase poverty and make the housing crisis for the poorest and most
vulnerable even worse. The Conservative policy simply buries the housing crisis under a bravado
of right wing chest puffing, and its disgraceful.
On a broader point, lets consider what sort of Britain we wish to live in. I think this is best
epitomised by asking what contributions those with the broadest shoulders will be making in the
next 5 years. It is clear the economic recovery of the past five years had disproportionally made the
wealthier better off, and hasn't yet taken effect on those who need it the most at the bottom of the
socioeconomic ladder. The gap between those at the bottom and those at the top is soaring, so

surely it is sensible now, more than ever, to ask the wealthiest to make increased contribution to
society, to create a better Britain for everyone? Wrong. According to the Tories now is the right time
to reduce income tax for those at the top, and not asking them to make any increased monetary
contribution to our society. This is utter madness. Labours pledge to increase income tax for the
highest earners and to tax the most expensive properties is a start at tackling the massive wealth
inequality we are experiencing. The Conservative plans will send that into reverse, increase
disparity, all under the lie that surplus will make it better for everyone. There is a real risk at this
election, that if a Conservative government takes power, we will leave for dead the most vulnerable,
and create an impassable chasm in our socioeconomic make up, which could become
unrecoverable. The pundits say this election is the most important in a generation, because of the
volatile nature of the electorate and rise of minor parties. I say it is the most important in a lifetime,
because at risk is the very nature of British society. We have reached a critical juncture now in
terms of economic disparity in the Western world. We are on the precipice of the fragmentation of
our very socioeconomic structure, we can either abandon recent policy and take strides toward
greater equality both of wealth and opportunity or we can continue on the path, with wanton
abandon, toward a society where we create a sub sect of those who have and those who don't and
there is no vehicle through which fluidity between the two can be achieved. Over the past two
decades, there has been an absolute failure of centre right policy to fix gaping issues in society.
Education has become dominated by wealth and power, opportunity is severely limited and we are
wrecking our own planet with no regard to the consequences. If we continue with these failed
ideas, we risk losing any form of social mobility and fragmenting society as we know it. Change is
required now more than ever.
This election boils down very simply. One must ask, do we want a politics dominated by personal
attacks, rhetoric, fear-mongering and blame culture, or do we want a politics committed to bringing
around a better Britain? The right wing at this election is committed to blaming all the wrong
individuals. Welfare claimants, immigrants, nor the EU is responsible for our countries ills.
Inequality is the reason. Our society has rapidly devolved into a situation were who and where you
are born to is more influential than any personal action on the outcome of your life. The result of
this is that we are turning to the stranger in the neighbourhood and blaming them for our ills. The
left wing at this election is committed to making Britain a fairer place, a more equal place. A year
ago, I would have dismissed this whole piece, as liberal lefty nonsense that had no element of
pragmatism. However, lefty liberal idealism is what this country needs to repair the damage
pragmatic right wing politics has done to our society. In a rapidly changing and volatile world,
Britain has an opportunity to lead in the fight against inequality, and a race to the top for a more
equal society. We must take up this torch and run with it, for society is at breaking point. For this
reason, if you agree with any of what I have argued in this piece, I urge you to use your vote for to
bring around the change we need in society by using it to oust the Conservative party from
Government and install a Government committed to rebuilding and repairing a better society for all,
namely a left wing government, perhaps of multiple colours, but united in their commitment to
change Britain for the better.
Thank you for taking the time to read,

Joe Burroughs