Top line politics

I’ve been explaining the political parties to my eldest. She’s only four so I’m sticking, in political terms, to just briefing the top line. 

Ed Miliband is leader of the Labour Party. We support them.

Why do we support them mummy?

Because they want to help all people. And because they want to take money from people with lots of it and use it to help hospitals and schools.

Do we have lots of money mummy?

Yes sweetheart, we do, comparatively.

David Cameron is leader of the Conservative Party. They want people with lots of money to keep it for themselves.

What about hospitals and schools?

Exactly, darling.

The leader of the Liberal Democrat party is Nick Clegg.  The Liberal Democrats say one thing and then do another.

Oh.

Who is leader of the Liberal Democrats?

I don’t remember.

UKIP are not very nice. The leader is Nigel Farage. He doesn’t like people from other countries who come and live here.

That’s not very nice. I like everybody.

Yes, and if people from other countries couldn’t come here in the past then you wouldn’t be here because Grandma and Grandpa’s Grandmas and Grandpas come from other countries.

So does my friend’s mummy. She speaks Rossia.

Russian?

Yes.

The Green Party’s leader is a woman called Natalie Bennett. The Green Party are not very clever and haven’t thought through their policies.

Why is only one leader a woman?

I am so very very proud. I used to write a lot against lowering the voting age. I accept now that is a battle that is lost, politically. But more than that, I have embraced the argument. Give four year olds the vote. They are very insightful.