#21 The General Election? It's anyone's guess.

On the evening of May 7th, I plan to sit up all night with a selection of craft ales (from various rural constituencies) watching the results coming in. I am genuinely excited by the prospect of change, and am looking forward to the entertainment value of it all - it beats Britain's Got Talent any time (and I enjoy BGT).

But as for to who vote for, that's something of an open field, and none of the TV debates made that any clearer,

Obviously, I'm a teacher, so I simply cannot vote for the current ruling party, as they have ruined the heart and soul of my profession. What's more, their whole election message has been based on slagging off Ed Miliband at every given opportunity. "On May 7th, you have a choice," they tell us. "The stability of a David Cameron, or the chaos of Ed Miliband." How do they know?  Yawn. Tories, I truly expected better from you. I don't even know what you stand for. And you didn't turn up for the debates, which to me speaks volumes.

So what of Labour? Traditionally, this is the party that is supposed to represent me as a teacher. They got my vote last time around. This time, I'm unsure. I like many others was disappointed that Ed Miliband became leader. Yes, he won in a democratic process but I thought his brother was more statesmanlike. Did he shaft his brother? That's not for me to say, but I'd like to think that family loyalty counts for a lot. After winning the vote, Miliband was quick to take away some of the powers of the unions that had guaranteed him his role. So it could be said he's shafted his brother AND the unions. Would he do the same to the country? I don't know but I do get the feeling that he's power hungry and is in it for personal gain. If his colleagues were more dynamic, then I might think twice. But there is no-one in the Labour shadow cabinet who excites me.

And then there are the other kids on the block. I can't vote SNP or Plaid Cymru for obvious reasons. I can't vote for UKIP for even more obvious reasons. The Greens have lots of wild ideas that will never add up. And then we're left with the Lib Dems, the party that is seen as the Judas of the political scene.

I've always felt a little sorry for Nick Clegg. He had a big decision to make in 2010, but what choice did he have? Since then, many of his key principles have been uprooted. Many students will never forgive him for what happened with tuition fees. But as a minority party in power, that's probably to be expected. For all Nicola Sturgeon talks about Trident being a red line issue, there is absolutely nothing she will be able to do to stop it if she is in a coalition government.

Clegg may be clinging on to the scraps of what he has achieved (and there are some good policies that he's pushed through), but can you imagine what life might be like if the Tories had secured an overall majority? I'm glad the Lib Dems have been in there to offer an opposite view, and to be honest, I'd be glad of it again this year.

And after all that's happened over the last five years, Clegg still stands out as the most honest of the main party leaders, and that says a lot! I hope he keeps his seat, because I think they will have a big part to play on May 7th.

So I havcn't really said much about policy, but the key areas for me are education; family; and lifelong care as my parents are approaching retirement.

With that in mind, I looked at an election policy guide for education. I'm close to making a decision on where my vote is going. Five years ago, this decision would have shocked me to the core.

Anyone got any good suggestions of craft ales?

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#17 It's time for Fair Pay

In late 2009, I made the decision to be a teacher. My prime motivation was, and still is, to serve within a community, helping children to realise their potential. The pay and pension scheme was an added bonus, providing my family with a comfortable lifestyle and security for the future.

During that same year, the funeral march had begun for a Labour Government whose twelve years in power had been built on the premise of "Education, education, education." And education was all the better for it.

The following year, the funeral was over. Labour were well and truly dead and buried. The new government quickly set to work on dismantling what Labour had built. Meanwhile, the new chancellor raided the pensions and salaries of public sector workers in order to reduce the national debt.

Of course, I didn't need to tell you that - you already knew. But the reason I'm writing about it today is that the profession I aspired to join in 2009 had fundamentally changed by the time I started my training in 2012. The generous pension scheme I liked the sound of had been reduced significantly. I was told that I should expect to be teaching until the age of 68. Finally, the salary that had attracted me had been reduced in real terms by between 10% and 15% as pay freezes were at odds with high rates of inflation.

On the march for Fair Pay: 'Britain Needs a Payrise' 18th Oct 2014

I am a husband and father of two. We own a modest three-bed semi. We can afford to run one car. We haven't had a holiday this year. I'm not quite sure how we'll afford Christmas presents, but we'll get by.

And so I'm left wondering...is this it? Is it too much to ask for enough money to take my own children on holiday? Perhaps it is. It pains me to say this, but there is a very good chance that the Conservatives will remain in power after the next election, and if that happens, then below inflation pay increases will be the norm until 2018 at the earliest. By this time, a teacher is likely to be worth 20% less than they were a decade previously. What's more, trainees will have to fork out £9000 in fees just to do a PGCE.

All the while, the government are adding to the pressures and workload of teachers by driving up the standards to compete with the 'best' education systems in the world. But how can a world-leading education system be created if the government itself doesn't even value the profession?

I think we could create a world leading education system. To do it, things need to change.

Fair pay. Please.

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