Member Article

Election 2015: Time to decide the future of Britain’s economy

The day has arrived, today millions of people will vote in the UK General Election.

Polls opened at 07:00 BST and are set to close at 22:00 BST, at approximately 50,000 polling stations across the country.

Alongside 50 million registered voters having their say in the 650 Westminster MPs to be elected, there are over 9,000 council seats being contested spanning 279 English local authorities.

For many, the question of who to vote for will centre around the the core issue of the economy.

Following the worst recession since the 1930s, voters will decide whether to keep the Conservative-led government who chartered the UK on a specific course, following the economic crisis.

Lines of thought

PM David Cameron has pursued a course emphasising headline numbers after a full term of budget cuts, focussing on reducing the deficit. Whilst figures show that inflation is down, employment has increased and the economy is growing at one of the fastest rates among large industrialized nations, this is simply one way to look at the UK’s current economic plight.

Therefore Labour’s opposition leader Ed Miliband is asking voters to look deeper, arguing there is a lot more to it than Cameron’s headline numbers. For example, wages are below pre-crisis levels, employment figures have been inflated by low-skill jobs and rising numbers of people are turning to food banks.

Miliband has focused the debate on inequality, specifically saying recovery hasn’t helped working families enough - hence Labour’s wish to increase taxes on the wealthiest members of society. Conversely, the Conservatives argue they need more time for the UK to really see the gains of their government.

With what looks to be one of the closest ever elections to date, much uncertainty shrouds what the final outcome will be. Regardless of the result, the UK’s next government must put core focus on continuing to rebuilding the economy.

Don’t forget to vote.

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