Who should I vote for?

I am not, of course, going to answer that question. I should point out that I am a member and supporter of the Green Party. However, this is not a party political post for the Greens. I want to discuss the issues from a wider perspective.

Instead, I want to address some of the issues that I believe should be at the forefront of a Christians mind when looking at and assessing who to vote for. Actually, I will be drawing this from a Christian perspective, but I think the same issues apply to anyone.

1. The people. Our vote is for who we believe should have responsibility for resources and their distribution. One of the principles from the Old Testament - repeated again and again - is that those in authority should act impartially, not respecting the wealth or influence of those they are dispensing for. I believe it is incumbent upon us all to vote for the party or person who we believe will consider all people, the poor, the disabled, the old, the young, the rich, the self-sufficient. It is not about voting for the person who will benefit me the most - that is selfish. It is about supporting the person, the party, the policies that will provide for all.

2. The person. We should look at the person we are voting for, and assess whether they are someone of personal integrity and morality. This does not mean "do they follow the same faith/ideology/hairdresser as me". Some people who claim Christianity as their faith are morally bankrupt and clearly not people of integrity. I do not support them just because they claim some affinity with me.

The problem is, of course, that we rarely know the morality of those we are voting for. If they are incumbent in the office, we might be able to assess how good their record in, but it is hard to know. But if in doubt, question them, dig into them, find out what their record is as far as it is available.

This also does not mean that they have to be completely perfect. They are human, and a perfect record always makes me wonder what has been removed from it. Integrity is about "would you buy a car from this person" and "would you take a mortgage out to support a venture of theirs". Because the truth is, they will be spending thousands of pounds of your money, somehow.

3. The place. Do the people we are voting for care about the place you live in? Will they work for the benefit of the place - town, city, village, road - that you live in, to make sure, as far as is possible, that it retains its character, the good aspects of it, the things that make it unique? Are they concerned with the long-term future of the area, or just the length of their term of office?

Far too many politicians today seem to be concerned about getting what they can, doing what they can now, assuming that they might well be out at the next election. Maria Miller is an example of this, I think - getting what she can, showing utter contempt for the electorate, and just enjoying the money and power while she can. She does not appear to care that her chances of re-election are slim.

But we face issues and challenges that are far bigger that one term of office. We should all be looking to long-term solution to problems and issues, not short-term quick fixes that look good. Finding solutions that will last our term of office, and will just give bigger problems to the next holders may be good for political capital, but is not good for the people who have to live under these problems for decades to come.

4. Your vote. Sorry, this was turning into a three point, same-letter sermon, so I have to stop that. I believe that voting is crucial. It is the exercise of our power to state who we want to have authority over us. It does make a difference, especially if we are genuinely prepared to consider the real issues, the real priorities, and what is important. It is very easy to argue that "my vote doesn't make a difference" - then ensure it does. Be involved, find out the information you need, and vote based on this. Then, when you have an elected representative (whether of your choice or not), make sure they know what you want them to do.

I am a believer that we can change the face of politics. Probably not in my time, but maybe. I am sick and tired of the antics of the main parties in Westminster - privileged, wealthy, and out of touch with how most people are feeling. I believe things can change, but they will not change suddenly. they will change because people will vote with their consciences, not their wallets - their own beliefs, not their party affiliations.

So, in the elections that are to come in the next months and years, please give some serious thought to how you should vote. Make a difference.