Why this, why now?

So i’ve set up a blog, registered my domain name, and picked a theme – now what?  I don’t have an agenda or momentous cause, i just want to document my findings as i try and work out what hell the political parties stand for and who to vote for next spring.  I’m a 29 year old young professional who has never voted in a general election, due to a combination of ignorance and apathy, but over the last two years I’ve become increasingly engaged in politics.  This aim of this blog is to keep a record of the insights, facts, figures, inconsistencies, hypocrisy and comment i come across that daily shapes my thinking.

I’d be lying if i said i’m coming at this completely objectively, with an open mind.  Everyone enters political debate with preconceptions and bias.  My views are what would traditionally be called social democrat: a belief in human rights, a belief in civil liberties, and a belief in a progressive tax system that funds free health-care, free education, care for the elderly, and provides equality of opportunity for all.  The rest will come out in other posts i imagine.  Suffice to say that my frustration stems predominantly from the fact that although i feel i should find most affinity with the Labour party, i currently fail to see how they share my view of what British society should look like.