If you can keep your feet upon the flat ground And draw the line at frivolous ideals And tell yourself this downhill train can turn round With just a bit more fat to grease the wheels If you can reduce all the pressing questions To a straight coin toss between blue and red If you can close your ears to all suggestions That there might be a wider choice instead
If you can vote the way your parents voted If you can leave debating to the press And disregard each novel concept floated While wondering how we got in this mess If you believe the latest polling numbers Regardless of the leanings of their source If you believe that while this nation slumbers It somehow still can hold to the best course
If manifestos leave you feeling hazy If your first thought is what's in this for me If anyone who disagrees is crazy And not just someone who thinks differently If you would rather come to a decision Based on the outfits of the leaders' wives If anyone with hope, ideals or vision Is just a naive fool to be despised
And if when you are at the polling station You'll squash down any doubts that you possess If you can put your needs above the nation And never give a thought to its distressΒ Β If you can steel yourself against reflection And, promised real change, if you hold your nerve You'll vote like all the rest at the election And, what's more, get the leaders you deserve.
With apologies to Mr Kipling - who did write exceedingly good poems!