Canvassing with Steve Brine in Chandler's Ford
Yes, I've returned to the fold!! Early last year I left the Conservatives and joined UKIP, as I felt they had become the true Conservatives.
However, a few months ago I realised how incredibly dangerous it would be to split the Conservative vote in the General Election - now in just two days time - so I rejoined the party to which I had belonged since the age of 18, as a Young Conservative. I am really terrified of a left-wing grouping that could destroy all the work the Coalition has done to rebuild the economy over the last five years.
And I also value the work our local (Winchester) Conservative MP Steve Brine has done. Here in Chandler's Ford, the resurfacing of the M3 has drastically reduced the traffic noise, as well as making it a much more comfortable drive. In addition to transport issues, he has campaigned successfully on school places and the local NHS. And he is an effective MP at Westminster.
The Conservative led coalition has given:
- Competent leadership
- Employment at a record high
- Tax cuts for workers and savers
- The offer of a seven-day NHS
- Pensioners being allowed to keep benefits
- Benefits cap leading more into work
- 2.8% rise in growth
An unforgivable mistake
In today's Daily Telegraph Ian Duncan Smith says that anyone considering backing UKIP is making an"unforgivable mistake."
And this is exactly why I returned to the Conservatives. He says UKIP voters will be ruining their chance of getting to vote on Britain's membership of the European Union if the Conservatives aren't returned. IDS has always been very Eurosceptic and voted for a referendum back in 1993. Like me on the doorstep he says to Ukip voters that the only way we'll get the referendum is to have a Conservative government.
None of the other parties will countenance a referendum, so a vote for Ukip could prevent a Conservative government from being elected, hence no referendum. An unforgivable mistake, he says.
A left-wing government
I am terrified of our having a left-wing government consisting of Labour, SNP and Greens. Although the polls predict that the Tories will be the biggest party after Thursday's election, with the support of the SNP, Miliband could still become Prime Minister despite having fewer MPs than Cameron.
This would feel to voters that the election had been stolen from them.
A rag-bag of left-wingers with demands for more spending, leading to more borrowing and higher taxation, would be a nightmare. Nicola Sturgeon will also demand that we give up our nuclear deterrent, and defence itself will become subject to more cuts than under the Coalition. We mustn't forget that we have a resurgent Russia on NATO's borders and which is also making pacts with Argentina regarding the Falklands.
And we have a real threat from ISIL, which would be compounded by Miliband's policy of banning "Islamophobia," thus through inference making any reference to Islamic extremism a criminal offence. People will find it impossible to report suspects.
Labour governments never have worked. The Conservatives have always had to clear up their mess.
Destruction of the UK?
But there is one mess they could make that would never be cleared up: Scottish independence and the breakup of the UK. Miliband says it would never happen if he were prime minister - but with up to 50 MPs the SNP could force another referendum leading to the possible destruction of our 300 year old Union.
In Eastleigh, Mike Thornton had a majority of 1771 at the by-election in 2013. His vote was just 13,342, while the combined UKIP and Conservative vote was 22,130.
Ukippers, please think very hard about this. The only way to vote is Conservative to keep the LibDem out and get our EU referendum. AND TO PRESERVE THE UNITED KINGDOM
