Is voting Lib Dem really a wasted vote this time round?

[Alambil]

My dad is convinced it's a waste of a vote and if people vote Lib Dem that labour will stay - he says he's going to vote Conservative so that he doesn't "waste" his vote and labour leave - not that he wants Tories in their place...

Is that true?

From what I'm hearing about Clegg, it seems that IF those that say they like him vote for him, they have a chance of getting in?

Or is the gap just too big?

[PandaSam]

It really depends on which constituency you are in, how big the majority of the current mp is, and which party is second.

As long as you vote then I do not believe the vote is wasted; those who don't even bother are wasting their vote.

Lib dems are extremely unlikely to form a government; it would take a miracle! So really it depends on how you feel about gordon brown staying in power!

[vesela]

According to the swingometers, the Lib Dems need to be polling about 37% to be the largest party in parliament (and about 41-42% to have a majority).

They're currently polling about 32-33% and it looks as if there are more votes to be taken from Labour as Labour start to fall beneath 25..., plus some from the Tories - another 5% for the Lib Dems is definitely doable.

They're already in second (or first) place in half the constituencies in the country, and as the campaign goes on, doorstep campaigning means that more and more people realise that the Lib Dems are in a good position in their constituency and so their poll share goes up (the LDs always put on several percent during a campaign in this way, regardless of how well the leader does in debates etc.!)

The Tories are well out of majority territory at this point.

I'm a Lib Dem who'd vote LD anyway because life's too short to vote for parties you don't like but that's how I see the situation.

[vesela]

5% more isn't a miracle, it's achievable...

[bronze]

If everyone thought like him there would be no hope
I wish people would go with what they believe rather than tactical voting that helps noone really

[wastwinsetandpearls]

I think you should just vote for the party you agree with. As others have said it does depend on your constituency.

Lib Dems are second here, if there was a wasted vote here it would be Labour.

[ChippyMinton]

What pandasam said. Here the sitting tory has been disgraced in the expenses scandal and is standing down, Labour stand no chance. LibDems could get in, so it will be interesting to see how much effort they put in to getting the voters out.

[Alambil]

how do I find who's second? we're conservative atm

[vesela]

look up your constituency here.

[Alambil]

thank you

[DrTrillianAstra]

I second (third? fourth?) the idea that no vote is wasted. Even if your vote only makes the Lib Dems come second in your constituency, it willl give other people more courage to vote for them next time, rather than voting for 'whichever of Labour/Conservatives they dislike the least'.

[Alambil]

oh it seems Labour are second and doesn't look likely that LD will win round here:

Notional 2005 Results:
Conservative: 18571 (40.1%)
Labour: 18390 (39.7%)
Liberal Democrat: 7812 (16.9%)
Other: 1491 (3.2%)
Majority: 181 (0.4%)

Actual 2005 result
Conservative: 19000 (40.3%)
Labour: 18501 (39.3%)
Liberal Democrat: 8089 (17.2%)
UKIP: 1518 (3.2%)
Majority: 499 (1.1%)

although I don't actually really understand all that!

[Alambil]

oh yes, I don't think it's a wasted vote either - just wish they had more of a chance, really; our conservative MP has been next to useless and I'm quite worried about what a tory government will do to me (single parent on benefits atm.... not looking good!)

[vesela]

You can ignore the notional 2005 results - it's just to take into account of boundary changes since 2005 that have made some constituencies more LD/Con/Lab, but they haven't made much of a change here.

[Ponders]

The sad thing is that LibDems actually poll a very large percentage of the vote nationally, but come second in so many places they end up with a tiny number of seats relative to the vote.

Lewisfan, if you don't want the Tories in (which you don't ) you need to vote Labour (sorry)

[PandaSam]

It really annoys me how people on mn feel the need to push their views on others. I'm a Tory, work for them and always voted for them - but the op didn't ask for lib dem lies and spin "tories are well out of majority territory" As if!

If you want to vote for a particular party you should; regardless of how much difference it makes nationwide. A sitting mp will certaintly take notice if they see their majority dropping to another party.

Why not email the three main candidates in your constituency and ask what they would do for you - you may find that you like one person over another regardless of their party; people should start voting locally and getting the best service from their mp.

[atlantis]

"people should start voting locally and getting the best service from their mp. "

Not if they want to see an end to labour they shouldn't.

[gaelicsheep]

I for one will only ever vote for the party that I want to see in power. All this second guessing what everyone else is going to do is frankly ridiculous.

[vesela]

PandaSam - the forecast that the Tories aren't going to get a majority based on what they're polling at the moment isn't LD "lies and spin" - it's generally accepted. That's why I said "the Tories are out of majority territory at this point."

[WebDude]

I hate the phrase "wasted vote" - as PandaSam has indicated, the numbers are recorded and the people's wishes will be there for future use.

Not just of importance to those who may lose some of their "safe" majority, but imagine if 65% of people voted for the Lib Dems but only 15% of the seats end up with Lib Dem MPs.

We know that the "first past the post" method is undemocratic, and the bigger the count of votes for the Lib Dems, the clearer that becomes, even if they don't win the majority of seats overall.

I noticed another website has a poll (taken Friday after TV debate), self-selecting, so far from a scientific sample, just like MNs, that put the Lib Dems on 71%.

Maybe (since the voters were students) some won't be eligible to vote, or won't actually vote, but an interesting result all the same!

[Pronoia]

I live in a Conservative stronghold.

I really do not want the tory party to get in.

Labour garner about 25 per cent, Lib dem about 18, and tory about 50 per cent.

Who would be best to vote for to shove the tories out?

I cannot see any point in voting at all.

[weegiemum]

Depends on your constituency.

Plus david Cameron wants you to think it is, cos he thinks that people voting LD will help Labour to stay in.

As I have now taught my children to deface pics of DC in the paper - you can see shat I think of this opinion

[WebDude]

Pronoia - not voting - or at least spoiling the ballot paper - means your objection is lost

If you don't vote, it does not go against the Conservative candidate the way a vote for any other party, even the Monster Raving Loonies, would. In any stronghold, it would take a lot to eject the incumbent - fraud, expenses, or something the constituents would hate, whether in MP's private life, or ignoring local feeling (eg on plans to close a hospital, or similar). With 50% at last election, they probably need to lose half their votes to be beaten (never know, it could go Lib Dem!)

Maybe this time it won't 'shove the Tory out' but if voter turnout hit an all time low (eg 5%) do you think any party would say "it was hardly democratic, we need to have a second election" - no, they'd accept victory wherever they could and if one party had a big majority they'd say "bu@@er the dumb public who didn't vote". It's just the way that UKIP or BNP could get in, in some areas.

[SpringyThingy]

LD's are reaching a critical mass point where enough people are openly pledging support and those people who previously thought it was a wasted vote will step up and vote for them.

If Clegg performs well on Thursday and local campaigning goes well, this could well be a very excitng election. I think they need to say more about the Trident plans though as that could well be their undoing.

[abride]

Yup, and about joining the Euro. And granting amnesty to approx. two-thirds of a million of illegal immigrants.

[WebDude]

OK, abride, you've declared your current position (UKIP, though others posting in that thread said you had been pro-Conservative before that).