Time for a change?

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There's a slight shift in Accidental Houselife. As the kids get older and the possibility of returning to work beautifully glides into view, I find there is less I can write about regarding being a stay at home parent. Both in KS2 now, settled in school and friendship groups and with an abundance of after school activities to occupy them, being a stay at home parent becomes more about maid duties and food shopping. As exciting as that sounds it's now created space in the old grey matter for the things that always used to bash around in the space that used to be my brain. I realise this will only be a short interlude as the offsprings puberty beckons, but hey, I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts.

So, dear reader, as you may remember two of my main joys in life are politics and economics. Sad but true. I love a good debate, a clash of minds, ideas swapped, facts whittled down to the bone and the satisfaction that comes with learning something new. I also love a good rant but you knew that already. But today is not the day for a rant. Today I feel like something new.

The better half and I have been watching Ed Balls. Not in a weird way but his TV documentary in America. Full disclosure, I lean slightly to the right with most of my political views but not always. I'm ready to listen to all sides and tend to form my thoughts and opinions afterwards. That said, in political terms I was no great fan of Mr Balls. Many a time during his period as a politician I disagreed not only with his words but often his actions. As an economist however he gathers some of my respect. Not during his time in the cabinet but as a qualified and professional economist he is held in high regard and looking back on his past form I understand why.

But I digress, what has fascinated myself and the good lady is America, its citizens and Ed Balls. Mr Balls wanted to know how and why America voted for Mr Trump and along the way discovered some surprising people with some surprising reasons. It struck me that, despite the media coverage, a lot of people voted for Trump because they felt they didn't have a choice. There were people who voted Obama in 2008 but Trump in 2016, people who voted Trump because he wasn't a politician and people who just wanted to try something different. That's the part that resonates.

Just because a lot of my beliefs are slightly right of centre I am not a fully blown conservative (big or little c), I have voted for a least 3 different parties over the last 5 voting opportunities and have yet to find one political choice that I agree with on more than 50% of the issues with. So in reality I'm a Trump voter. I want something different. I have lost faith in all the main parties but there is no one else out there who ticks my box. I could stand myself as an independent but my closet is quite full and requires no inspection by the tabloid media. So is it time for a change? Should Great Britain choose a President? (obviously keep the Queen, I'm sure we could work something out!) Is it time the major players were given a kick up the back side and we tried something new? Is it time for all the big mouthed celebrities who quite happily tell us where it's all going wrong to put their money where their mouths are and stand for Parliament?

I don't have the answers but I do like a debate. Nobody seems happy so surely it's time for a change. President Dame Judy anyone?

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