Why I am voting Labour

I grew up in Sheffield. Dw i dwad o Sheffield yn wreiddiol. I think my childhood in Sheffield Brightside saw only 2 MPs, both of whom were Labour. My parents voted Labour, I think :-). In my teens, I saw recession for the first time, with the decimation of the steel industry and coal fields, with men losing their jobs and often their self-respect. (They were the men that I noticed. I grew up on an estate, where men only were present in the evening and at the weekends, so the change was obvious and profound). I was allowed to stay on at school in the 6th Form through the aid of a grant provided by Sheffield City Council, and did my first two out of three undergraduate years at university before student loans came in.

Obviously, the reasons for my voting Labour are shaped by my faith, although I would acknowledge that Christians vote for other parties with integrity, even though I might want to have robust discussion over a pint with a Christian Tory.

 I do not pretend that the Labour Party has got everything right. There are policies advanced by the Green Party, Plaid and the Liberal Democrats that I admire. I also with that the leadership of my party was robuster in some areas.

I will vote Labour because intrinsically I believe in the Welfare State or more accurately what I would all a Welfare Society. I believe that those of us who earn a little more should pay that bit extra in terms of taxation. I am perhaps more radical than Corbyn on this. I would not say 95% of the population will not pay any more tax. Taxation can be used to redistribute wealth fairly and appropriately in a welfare society, where each person is treated equally and fairly. This is not socialism but an egalitarian Christian ethic, although there is nothing wrong with the former. My notions of a Welfare Society are rooted in the Old Testament prophets, the teachings of Jesus and the example set by the earliest Christian communities. I draw upon them as a person of faith. There are other reasons why people who do not share my faith vote Labour, but that is for them to articulate.

I take the Labour leadership at its word that it is for the many, not the few.

I am also voting Labour because it is internationalist in its outlook. I think this is important after the result of the referendum. We need as many friends and allies as possible, and the Labour movement prides itself on being open and standing in solidarity with others around the globe, rather than perhaps investing in a 'me first' culture.

I will be voting Labour, and in particular for Albert Owen on 8 June.

My hope is that you will vote too, so that whoever is our/your representative will have the biggest mandate possible.