Going to bed with a smile on my face

It's been 13 long years, of hope, disappointment and then anger.

As a natural Tory, even I believed that some things would get better in 1997. It wasn't so bad, those first four years; the Labour party hadn't unleashed, at that point, the usual spending splurge.

Then after 2001, it did. It was necessary to some extent, to fix some of the funding issues in the NHS and Education, but then it became the only answer to every problem. As the spending went out of control, each year we were told it was spending for investment and not for current spending, I felt this would end in tears. Eventually, it did go wrong and as the economy tanked the Labour party only knew one way to get out of it. Spend more.

On other fronts the Labour Party was good for me. I was eternally grateful for social policy. I had the happiest day of my life when I had my civil partnership with the love of my life in 2008, and that was unthinkable under the Tories of old. Time has moved on, and gay issues are largely neutered - I feel like a full member of society.

But as time went on, earning a middle income wage, it felt like whenever anything went wrong the Government felt they could put its hands in my pockets whenever it felt like it. I know I need to pay my fair share, but it started to feel like an unfair share as you could turn on ITV in the morning and watch someone of a similar age who had never done a day's work, living off state benefits, spending their days watching TV, getting people pregnant and drinking their lives away. I quite frankly resent that.

The outright lying by allowing the Lisbon treaty was the worst politicking I can remember, absolutely shameful. Gordon Brown took the spin to new depths, even after saying that he wouldn't spin. The PM could spin for himself, but would have negative results. The twisting and turning over the "boom and bust" quote, and redefining the economic cycle whenever he felt like it were terrible.

So, tonight, I look towards a new Prime Minister, a new Government and a new Tory/LD Britain. I expect less spin and more efficient but quiet Government. I expect more respect from Government, I want them to treat people as adults, and I would - eventually, when we've sorted out the economic mess - like to see less taxes and more enterprise.

I believe that Labour MPs have the right hearts but don't know how to enact their policies to achieve the right results. I believe Tories also have the same hearts, but have a different but seemingly uncompassionate method of achieving the same aim. It's unfortunately unpopular, but I feel that the Tory methods are more likely to achieve the aims that both Labour and Tories wish to achieve.

Tonight I go to bed in hope again, as in 1997. But I'm a realist and this time I hope the disappointment will be much less.

Squiffy.