From Hope to Disillusionment: My Political Journey
Walking into my local Cotswolds rugby club last summer, I experienced a moment that felt both quintessentially British and profoundly significant. I wasn't there for sports or socialising, but to cast my vote in the General Election. After a brief hesitation in that slightly incongruous polling station, I made my mark with a firm pencil X beside the Labour candidate's name.
After enduring 14 years of Conservative government - covering more than half my lifetime - I genuinely felt hopeful about change. Like countless others in my generation, I had become deeply disillusioned by years of political chaos, multiple prime ministers in quick succession, harsh Covid lockdowns, skyrocketing rents, diminishing job opportunities, and an NHS struggling to survive.
Sir Keir Starmer successfully attracted 40% of voters aged 18-24, convincing us with promises to restore Britain's economic stability, rebuild public services, and his repeated assurance that 'We will not be raising taxes on working people.'
The Great Betrayal: Labour's Tax and Welfare Revolution
How dramatically things can change in just eighteen months. Following last week's extraordinary Budget, which piled an additional £30 billion in tax increases onto last year's £40 billion rises, I feel completely betrayed. This massive financial burden serves primarily to fund an ever-expanding welfare state.
Let me be clear: I recognise the crucial role benefits play as a safety net for those in genuine need. My own family experienced this firsthand during my adolescence when unexpected circumstances left my mother, Samantha, suddenly single and responsible for three children. She claimed Jobseeker's Allowance for six months while working tirelessly to find employment and eventually complete a management degree.
Today, 15 years later, she leads a team of surveyors and proudly owns her home. Benefits provided temporary support when needed - they were never a lifestyle choice. Yet Labour's policies seem designed to encourage permanent dependency.
The Harsh Reality for Working Young People
The numbers speak for themselves. Welfare spending is now projected to reach an astonishing £400 billion annually. The removal of the two-child benefit cap could see another 25,000 families claiming additional support, with families having six children potentially receiving up to £14,000 extra per year - effectively incentivising having more children to increase state payments.
My doubts about Labour began with last year's Budget, when Rachel Reeves first attacked strivers by increasing workplace National Insurance contributions - a clear violation of their manifesto promises and essentially a tax on jobs. The consequences speak volumes: under Starmer, inflation has jumped to 3.8%, unemployment has risen from 4.1% to 5%, and 13% of 16-24 year olds now fall into the 'Neet' category - not in employment, education or training.
As a 24-year-old with a £76,000 student loan debt, I face the prospect of paying this graduate tax throughout my working life, while those from Reeves and Starmer's generation enjoyed free university education. Meanwhile, an additional 780,000 Britons will pay income tax by 2030, with 920,000 more dragged into higher tax brackets.
The Office for Budget Responsibility confirms that Reeves' frozen tax thresholds will cost me at least £1,000, before considering her other measures. Simultaneously, many benefits including disability payments will increase by 3.8% next April, while the state pension rises by 4.8%.
A Political Landscape Without Clear Alternatives
Labour's support among young people is already plummeting, leaving many uncertain where to turn. The ultra-radical Green Party gains traction in polls despite questionable leadership, while some in Generation Z gravitate toward Reform UK's Nigel Farage - though I disagree with his tendency to blame all Britain's problems on immigration.
Kemi Badenoch's powerful Commons confrontation with Reeves resonated strongly with me and other working people who believe in determining our own destinies and keeping our hard-earned money. When the Tory leader told the Chancellor to stop complaining about 'mansplaining' and acknowledge her own incompetence and broken promises, I wanted to cheer.
The next election remains years away, and I'll be significantly poorer when it arrives. But I already know with certainty how I'll vote - and it absolutely won't be for Labour.
