Election

One of my friends is a rabid Corbyn supporter. Over the course of a couple of hours on FB last night I let her gradually convince me to vote Labour today. She was very happy.

I'll leave it a bit before telling her I voted by post five days ago...

I'm hating the social media influence on the election, I know little about politics and try and keep it about manifestos when the time comes. However I've changed my mind several times in the build up just because strong supporters of either party have been flat out offensive/abusive to the opposite party voters. I've seen Labour & Conservative supporters basically ridiculing someone who may want to vote for a party other than theirs. For people like me who are really undecided it's totally off-putting, it makes me less likely to vote for the party the support!

I always vote, and for me it was not a terribly difficult choice. However I absolutely detest the "norm" of name calling, hurling abuse and general diss'ing of other parties that happens at every election I can properly remember.

For once I would like all parties to compete for votes based on what they will do, what their values are. Rather than trying to tear apart the opposition.

I am rather apprehensive at waking up tomorrow and seeing what direction we are going in for the next 5 years

I must say

Bell ends on facebook are pissing me off with their abusive shite!

There is a select few though that are posting actual facts and what can/could be the future rather than bringing crap up from the past!

Someone I know nearly had a fit when he was told it was the end of May! I found it rather funny seen as though it was the 31st May

At least social media has got people engaged in politics and we might see a better turnout.

My vote isn't going to make a dot of difference because I'm not voting for one of the two main parties and I live in a conservative stronghold, but I'm still going to vote.

The sooner the better people realise it's only a two horse race because they keep considering and voting for only one of two horses, and if they want something different they have to get out there and vote for it. The only wasted vote is the one you don't use, or the one where you don't vote for what you want because you think somebody else has a better chance of winning.

Just waiting for the crowing from the winner who thinks the country wanted them in charge. No - whoever wins this will win because the country didn't want the other one in charge. There's a big difference.

I know what you mean. I'm a floating voter with no strong political leanings (slightly left of centre if pushed, I guess) which means I enjoy gently needling both sides when their blinkered twaddle appears on my news feed.

My area is a Labour area, and it won by 10000 votes last time it's not really going to change. The person I wanted to vote for instead doesn't even live within 30 miles of my constituency, really pee'd me off for some reason. Made me change my mind again .

Role on Friday, and I can go back to hating everybody equally instead of singling out the stupid people who should have the right to vote removed from them.

The party system is corrupt, the voting system is unfair, our politicians are (mostly) a disgrace, and I wouldn't trust the electorate to open a tin of tuna without dumping the contents on the floor and slicing their thumb. An absolute shambles.

I drew a giant cock on my ballot. I'm hoping my MP sees the likeness.

Well past time we had a "None of the above" box for people to tick and legislation that says you cast a ballot paper or you pay a fine.

Well past time we had a "None of the above" box for people to tick and legislation that says you cast a ballot paper or you pay a fine.

Don't see any point in forcing people to vote in constituencies where their vote counts for nothing. It only works if we overhaul the entire process.

First time ever I'm refusing to vote. It's exercising the choice of absention, not a lack of political awareness. I refuse to give my vote to any party as none are even vaguely in line with my political ideology at the moment, and therefore I refuse to come down on either side.

Traditionally I've voted conservative, with some lib dem stuff in the past when the local candidate was a particularly good constituency MP, but as someone who works in finance, mostly international finance, I find brexit to big a big smelly bucket of poo and the main parties haven't even factored the costs of it into their various manifesto pledges.

It doesn't really matter anyway as my MP is sitting on a Tory majority that would make thatcher blush, but still. Harrumph.

You've vote always counts, no matter who you vote for. Rarely does a party go from a minority to a big player over night, it takes years and years of hard work. But so long as votes keep increasing, no vote is a waste.

The SNP took decades to get as "strong" as they are currently in Scotland. Before 2007 for most people, a vote for the SNP was seen as a wasted vote. But now look at the shift. I will be interested to see how many SNP voters from 2016, shift back to Labour this time around.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elections_in_Scotland

Personally, no matter what way you vote in Scotland during a general election, it feels like shouting at a brick wall.

Labour for me.

The Tories have offered absolutely nothing but more of the same.

Best case hung parliament. Worst case Tory landslide.

Fingers crossed for the youth turnout.

You've vote always counts, no matter who you vote for.

I've voted in eight general elections, my vote was utterly pointless each and every time.

My choice this time around includes a handful of people I've never heard of, never seen and clearly don't give enough of a shit. None of them has made the slightest effort to campaign on local issues or contact constituents prior to the election.

And then there's my sitting MP: a gimp-faced gurning pillock. At least he knocked on my door so I could let him know what I thought about the time he sent me a late-night (and presumably drink-inspired) abusive email, and waved it in his dumb face. His expression will last with me forever - imagine the one Pob would pull if a giant cactus was thrust up his arse.

Nope, I see absolutely no point in voting for one of my candidates.

Corbyn is right when he says his manifesto offers people hope, and I think that’s one of the things I find most objectionable about it – especially when you consider his popularity with young voters. But hand in hand with being young is not remembering the utter misery this simplistic socialist claptrap caused the last time round, and not yet having found out the hard way that there is a yawning gulf between a political manifesto and political reality. And in this election, more than any I can remember, the disparity between what is being promised and what can be delivered is vast. Despite Labour’s claims to have a fully costed manifesto, the fact is they don’t: merely putting a number next to a policy isn’t enough – there must also be a credible strategy for raising that money, and for Labour this is where it all unravels.

I’m neither Labour nor Tory, and generally hold both parties in pretty much equal contempt. But as much as I dislike May and her ilk, the Conservatives are at least a credible party of government, which is more than can be said for Labour. And whilst the NHS may or may not be better off under Labour, it’s scant consolation if their other policies leave the country bankrupt.

So I voted, even though I had to hold my nose as I did it. And I’m not going to pretend that I know I’ve done the right thing, because the truth is I’m not sure I have. But it’s done.

And may God have mercy on my soul.

Well past time we had a "None of the above" box for people to tick and legislation that says you cast a ballot paper or you pay a fine.

 

Don't see any point in forcing people to vote in constituencies where their vote counts for nothing. It only works if we overhaul the entire process.

Didn't say they had to vote, just that they had to cast a ballot paper. That can be a drawing of a big cock if they want. If we had a "None of the above" box though people wouldn't need to spoil the ballot, and if everyone was forced cast a ballot, I bet none of the above would get significant proportion of the vote, if not a majority.

Corbyn is right when he says his manifesto offers people hope, and I think that’s one of the things I find most objectionable about it – especially when you consider his popularity with young voters. But hand in hand with being young is not remembering the utter misery this simplistic socialist claptrap caused the last time round, and not yet having found out the hard way that there is a yawning gulf between a political manifesto and political reality. And in this election, more than any I can remember, the disparity between what is being promised and what can be delivered is vast. Despite Labour’s claims to have a fully costed manifesto, the fact is they don’t: merely putting a number next to a policy isn’t enough – there must also be a credible strategy for raising that money, and for Labour this is where it all unravels.

I’m neither Labour nor Tory, and generally hold both parties in pretty much equal contempt. But as much as I dislike May and her ilk, the Conservatives are at least a credible party of government, which is more than can be said for Labour. And whilst the NHS may or may not be better off under Labour, it’s scant consolation if their other policies leave the country bankrupt.

So I voted, even though I had to hold my nose as I did it. And I’m not going to pretend that I know I’ve done the right thing, because the truth is I’m not sure I have. But it’s done.

And may God have mercy on my soul.

And therein lies the problem with the two horse race. There are other options other than Tory or Labour, but if nobody ever casts a vote for them they will never have a chance of winning, and round goes the vicious circle that results in voters thinking they only have two options. We get the government we deserve. Can't complain later you're not happy with the government if you voted for them.

I don't know why, but I don't feel the same level disenchantment. Sure, the candidates a long, long way from perfect, and the parties are hopelessly flawed, and their leaders too. They'd all be fine, I'm sure, if they were'nt run by people! Anyway, when I vote, I see it that I have a small say in which of the shambles on offer I would prefer like to give the job their best go. I know, low expectations.

But here's the bit about voting that makes our votes important: in five years time they're going to have to come back to us and ask us if we would like them to carry on for a bit longer or give someone else a crack at the job. In other words, what we do in the polling booth today is making sure we're governed by people who can only keep onto power by asking our permission, rather than by people who keep onto power by putting their opponents in jail or bumping them off in the night.

So I'm voting. [mention]MarkW[/mention] And may God have mercy on my soul.

And therein lies the problem with the two horse race. There are other options other than Tory or Labour, but if nobody ever casts a vote for them they will never have a chance of winning, and round goes the vicious circle that results in voters thinking they only have two options. We get the government we deserve. Can't complain later you're not happy with the government if you voted for them.

I was intending to vote for the Church of the Militant Elvis Party, whose core manifesto pledge is to hold corporate pigs to account for turning Elvis from a man of huge talent into a fat media joke. Unfortunately their candidate fell at the first hurdle.

But in reality there are only two options, aren't there? Voting LibDem might be a sop to my wishy-washy liberal conscience, but they're an absolute shower of shite. And as for the others...

...what we do in the polling booth today is making sure we're governed by people who can only keep onto power by asking our permission, rather than by people who keep onto power by putting their opponents in jail or bumping them off in the night.

But I quite liked living in Venezuela under Chavez. It only really went to pot when he got too ill and then died.

But in reality there are only two options, aren't there? Voting LibDem might be a sop to my wishy-washy liberal conscience, but they're an absolute shower of shite. And as for the others...

See what Arwen says about SNP above.

They are all a shower of shite in my opinion.

Theresa May maybe credible, but severely dislike the autocratic way in which the woman operates, and some of the conservative policies like dementia tax - jesus, then she's absolutely dreaming if she thinks shes going to get her free trade deal, so shes driving us towards a hard brexit cliff edge which she, Boris, and David Davis alone have decided that's what EVERYONE who voted leave were saying they wanted. If only 4% of those people don't actually want to leave the single market, they just wanted to be independent like Norway or Switzerland, then a hard brexit did not win the referendum. The truth is nobody knows whether the people want hard or soft brexit, because the government hasn't asked the question.

Corbyn, I totally agree with you. We'll end up back in the 70's with all the mess that created, and we'll end up like France, the fantastic public services of a socialist country but totally bloody bankrupt. Besides the fact every time the man opens his mouth he puts his foot in it.

So Lib Dem and Tim Farron? Suddenly doesn't look so bad. He won't do a worse job than Corbyn, he's a much nicer person with better morals than May and a democrat not an autocrat, and I like the Lib Dem policies. If they did by some freak event end up in power tomorrow, we would at least have 5 years of any damage done being accidental through incompetence, rather than through deliberate policies like the other two.

So yes, there are three options and I'm voting Lib Dem today, but unless everyone else who feels the same way as you and I have the conviction to do it as well, Lib Dem can't win, which is a shame because we are collectively throwing away our democratic right to choose who governs us.

Next time if your liberal conscience tells you you should be voting Lib Dem, do it.

Vote for what you believe in folks, whatever party that may be, that's why you are given the chance to vote.

Well I don't like any of them. Happy to be wasting my vote. Anyone want it because they don't actually check your ID when going to the polling station... Stupid, antiquated backwards system.

Good point [mention]Joeman[/mention] where's your local polling station? I'm coming to stick a green party vote down in your name.

They don't actually check your ID when going to the polling station... Stupid, antiquated backwards system.

So a system's stupid and antiquated because it's based on honesty?

Geez, you're probably right.