The five easy steps to decide who to vote for

With the General Election 2015 fast approaching, deciding how to vote isn't always very clear. Follow Pip McCormac's five easy steps to help you make up your mind which party you should vote for.
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I'll admit, I didn't vote in the General Election 2010. I was on holiday, I lived in a heartland Labour seat, I didn't really like Gordon Brown and didn't want to vote Red, but doing anything else seemed a bit pointless. These were all the things I told myself from my sun lounger adding hollowly, once the result was out, that I didn't want to return to a Conservative/Lib Dem coalition.

But the General Election 2015 is a very different animal. With more of us wavering, unsure of party leaders, unaware or unable to get behind party policies, it truly is a free for all. Any safe seats could disappear, swallowed up by sea changes in public opinions. Who you vote for really does matter - the extremists are galvanised and ready to take hold of any boroughs that central voters don't turn out for.

Here's how to work out who to vote for.

Take the policy test

This can take around 20 minutes to do, but should enlighten you as to where your heart and head lies. Broken down into areas such as Economy, NHS and Education, this clever survey at offers policies presented by the five main parties...anonymously. You choose the one that resonates the most and the algorithm tells you which party is most similar to your own views. Vote for polices, not politicians.

Look at what your current MP has done during the last five years

A quick Google search is all it takes. Find out who your MP is on the website  and websearch their name. You'll be able to see if they've lived up to their promises, carried out policies you liked or been embroiled in any scandals.

Investigate the other candidates in your borough

Most have their own websites and Twitter feeds, but don't be afraid to email them to ask for more info if you can't find what you need. My local Green candidate had barely a thing on his policies online, but replied to my request for what he stood for in less than 12 hours. These people want your votes, they need to make themselves available. If they're not answering to you now, they surely won't do so when they're in office.

Disregard the party leaders

One of the biggest complaints amongst political apathetics is that they don't want to vote for either Cameron, Miliband or Clegg. But the General Election 2015 isn't just about them - it's doubtful any party will have a majority win and we'll end up with another coalition, anyway. So if your current MP has done sterling work in the community for years, fought for causes you believe in, and changed your community for the better, vote them in again. Even if they might be aligned to a party leader you no longer believe in. Remember, not every MP tows the party line exactly.

See what happened at Red Question Time

It was an evening of spirited debate when MPs from each main party met Red readers to answer questions as best they could - an insight into the policies that can often seem impenetrable. Chaired by Guardian journalist Hadley Freeman, it covered everything from sex education to that pink bus. What happened might help you form an opinion, so read the round-up here.

And lastly: don't forget to vote. The General Election 2015 will be held on May 7th.

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