MNHQ Group 3

I have now read other responses and whole heartedly agree that the current leaders of the main parties are so utterly meh that they don't really influence my voting intentions or party support.

Was the last bit a tad confusing? To clarify I am a Labour supporter and voter who moved areas after the 2010 election. Where I now live is a Tory/Lib Dem fight, so I have to vote Lib Dem to help ensure that the Tory party does not get a win. I have actually voted Lib Dem since 2010 as there was a recent by-election.

I haven't read other responses yet, will do so after posting.

Thinking about when you decide which party to vote for, how important is the leader of the party in that decision?

I'm torn on this. I want to say no, it doesn't matter. As long as the party promotes and supports the policies that I agree with then the leader should not matter as long as she/he champions those policies.

However... When the Liberal Democrats elected Sir Mingus Campbell as their leader I was greatly disappointed. Although not a Lib Dem voter, I was wavering and considering supporting them. I felt like I did not identify with the party as much as I didn't like their leader. I am not sure what I disliked about him, I think it may have been a reaction to the distasteful circumstances in which the former leader was ousted, but certainly my interest in supporting the Liberal Democrats wavered. They were not on my radar again until Nick Clegg was elected.

What do you look for in a party leader? What makes a good party leader and what makes a bad one? What makes a good prime minister and what makes a bad one?

The leader does not need to be the most charismatic, or the wittiest but needs to be be clear in setting out party policies and have confidence in what they are saying. I can not bear it when cheap points are scored - e.g. David Cameron's 'calm down dear' to Angela Eagle. Actions like that would turn me off a party completely.

Thinking about the party you voted for at the 2010 General Election and the party you would vote for now, has it changed?

The party I support has not changed since 2010. However I am not able to vote for them due to it being a contest between two other parties in my area. The party I support does not get a look in. I vote tactically for my second choice party as I would not want the other third party to get in.

There are a lot of Lib Dem voters on here. I wonder whether that was deliberate grouping?

Thinking about when you decide which party to vote for, how important is the leader of the party in that decision? Why?

I'd never vote for a party with a bad leader ( I could never bring myself to vote for Tony Blair, he just sets my teeth on edge), but a party with the correct values and agendas, with a mediocre leader would be worth considering. In either case the leader may well change in the term of office, but a leader who I don;t trust (for whatever reason) I wouldn't vote into office.

What do you look for in a party leader? What makes a good party leader and what makes a bad one? What makes a good prime minister and what makes a bad one?

Good: One I could trust, that I beleive will follow the items set out in the manifestos, and can inspire not only their party, but persuade the rest of the house of commons to vote the "right" way in a free vote (e.g. abortion limits), and the population in general.

Bad: uninspiring (Gordon Brown), make me uneasy (Tony Blair), go agenst the manifesto which got them elected.

Thinking about the party you voted for at the 2010 General Election and the party you would vote for now, has it changed?

Yes, changed. I voted LimDem. Round here there was no way on earth Conservative would get in, so the choice is basically Labour or LimDem. I'm not actually sure either would do anything for the country atm. So I'm not actually sure I'd do anything except register a blank vote - ie execute my right to vote (DH and I get default postal votes), but not actually vote for anyone.

Right, back to read what others have written - this was done before seeing what others wrote.

Thinking about when you decide which party to vote for, how important is the leader of the party in that decision?

Although we have a system of party politics, I believe that parties do, to a great extent, stand or fall by their leader, and when a charismatic leader, loved or loathed, is ousted, the party does not stay in power for long - eg Thatcher, Blair. The leader would feature highly in my decision.

What do you look for in a party leader? What makes a good party leader and what makes a bad one? What makes a good prime minister and what makes a bad one?

A good party leader leads should embody the party's values, but not be single-minded - they must be prepared to listen and change their views if necessary, when the country's mood has changed. Ditto for a leader. Anyone in t for personal gain or glory would put me off.

Thinking about the party you voted for at the 2010 General Election and the party you would vote for now, has it changed?

I voted Conservative (I think!) and that was mainly due to the local situation, not wanting to split the vote. However, I will not vote C again, again due to local reasons. The incumbent MP has not proved himself, and is actively supporting government policy on a matter that affects the local area, contrary to the views of local people.

Thinking about when you decide which party to vote for, how important is the leader of the party in that decision?

i think the leader is very important, the policies of the party are paramount, but with the wrong leader I guess it feels they may not be adhered to, or followed. I think the leader also needs to have charisma and some charm (yes, I really am that shallow).

What do you look for in a party leader? What makes a good party leader and what makes a bad one? What makes a good prime minister and what makes a bad one?
I think the leader needs to be honest and trustworthy, also someone who is confident and who you feel will be dogged in the face of adversity or disagreement. It needs to be someone who can be admired. I think again they need charisma and charm, and outspoken maybe at times too.

I think someone who is too quiet, insipid or just flakey makes a bad leader/prime minister. Not someone you could respect or admire or want to follow and trust.

Thinking about the party you voted for at the 2010 General Election and the party you would vote for now, has it changed?

I would vote LibDem again, but I would not be as confident in them as I was during the last election campaign. It feels they have dumbed down since the coalition and become LibDem Lite or something. I thought Nick Clegg was quite convincing and trustworthy during the campaign, he now seems a bit insipid and 2nd fiddle to Cameron, which is a shame.

Thinking about when you decide which party to vote for, how important is the leader of the party in that decision?

Quite important, because they will be overall shaping the policies, with advice. Sometimes a leader appears pigheaded and I worry they will not be able to take advice, other times they appear to change their policies with their underwear and I cannot trust that they actually believe in them.

Overall the policies are more important, but different leaders put a different slant on things, and if I thought 2 parties were very similar, then I would probably be swayed by the perceived characteristics of the leaders.

What do you look for in a party leader? What makes a good party leader and what makes a bad one? What makes a good prime minister and what makes a bad one?

Someone who is not jumping on every bandwagon, who has a history of standing up for what they believe is right, and of consistency.

Thinking about the party you voted for at the 2010 General Election and the party you would vote for now, has it changed?

No. I do not think any party is perfect, but the core policies that matter most to me have not changed, and one party is much closer to those than the others.

Hello!

Thinking about when you decide which party to vote for, how important is the leader of the party in that decision?
It shouldn't be important but somehow it is - poor nick clegg might be a strong clear politician but he's totally overshadowed as Dave's second. However, of the current leaders, none of them provoke strong enough feelings either positive or negative to sway my vote for or against.

What do you look for in a party leader? What makes a good party leader and what makes a bad one? What makes a good prime minister and what makes a bad one?
A good leader will take other people's opinions on board yet still be strong enough to know his/her own mind. A good leader will be able to admit to wrong decisions without it knocking them off course. A good leader is prepared to go against the party line in the country's best interests.

Thinking about the party you voted for at the 2010 General Election and the party you would vote for now, has it changed?Why?Why not?
I would still vote for the same party. I would want that party not to be part of a coalition but able to rule the country with their own policies rather than backing up the Tories. I believe the libdem policies to be best for this country and that they have restrained the Tories thus far.

Thinking about when you decide which party to vote for, how important is the leader of the party in that decision? Why?

Leaders are important, but not in a tangible way. I find its more an initial reaction. I found Tony Blair totally off putting and could never have voted for a party he lead. The actual policies were irrelevant, he seemed completely untrustworthy and in it for himself not the party and certainly not the country. Of the current leaders, I don't have strong feelings on any of them, so policies are more important.

What do you look for in a party leader? What makes a good party leader and what makes a bad one? What makes a good prime minister and what makes a bad one?

I look for someone who doesn't care too much about what other people think, who isn't easily swayed and who has a sense of purpose.
A good party leader needs to be popular and reflect the views of the majority of the party, they need to be comfortable with the media and aware of their image. A bad party leader puts themselves above the party and cares more about their own advancement than the advancement of the party.
A good Prime Minister puts the needs of the country above the needs of the party, is capable of making unpopular decisions and doesn't care about image or popularity. A good Prime Minister doesn't worry about re-election or what will happen to them personally after an election.
A bad Prime Minister follows the party line without any consideration for the needs of the country, cares about opinions polls and worries about re-election. A bad Prime Minister is fickle and blows hot and cold depending on public opinion.
I don't think the qualities needed to be a good party leader are necessarily the same as those needed to be a good Prime Minister.

Thinking about the party you voted for at the 2010 General Election and the party you would vote for now, has it changed?Why?Why not?

I would vote for the same party now as I did in the last general election. I still feel they have the best policies and and am happy with the contribution they have made to the coalition government. I would find it very hard to vote Labour as I find the links to trade unions outdated and no longer necessary, I agree with some Conservative policies and feel they have a better idea how to get us out of the recession than other parties, but, I trust the Lib Dems and feel they have provided a steadying hand within the coalition. I am a big supporter of proportional representation and will continue to vote for a party that supports this.

OOh Im first up! watch me be persuaded from my original post as time goes on - this seems to be one of my failings, and what possibly makes me a politicians dream - my ability to try to see every side of the argument but a terrible inability to stick to a decision or to give a totally fixed answer...

However, without anyone to influence my decsions so far, onto the questions.....

Thinking about when you decide which party to vote for, how important is the leader of the party in that decision?

yes, it is important to me

Why?

Because you rely upon the leader to have the strength of character to see the party policies through, to stick to what they have said they will do, and to not be influenced by the cronyism and big business bribery that seems to go hand in hand with modern day government. I do think the gut reaction to someone also has significance, if your automatic feeling is that someone is a creepy slimeball, then you are not going to want them in charge of yours, and the country's, future.

What do you look for in a party leader? What makes a good party leader and what makes a bad one? What makes a good prime minister and what makes a bad one?

As above. Integrity of character. Honesty. Openess. The ability to hear and understand many different peoples perspectives. The ability to acknowledge when they have made a mistake and be open about why policy needs changing. The ability to look beyond the next election - long term rather than short term planning. To have experience in the wider world, maybe from background, work, family, not just a political background.

Thinking about the party you voted for at the 2010 General Election and the party you would vote for now, has it changed?

Im a bit on the fence about this.

Why?
Why not?

I voted Lib Dem. previously I had always voted Labour (well, once I had escaped the grips of my very Tory family) but last time it seemed to be obvious that their head was on the chopping block. I hoped Lib Dem might just swing it, and the results of the voting clearly showed that there was no clear winner. In some ways they have shown some good stuff in government, defying some bills so they couldnt go through. I think they have been set up to be discredited as well, with the student loan thing for example being done so close to the start - I think they were scared to rock the boat at the beginning, but suspect that if the Tory's had attempted it now the Libs would have rebelled as they are obviously aware how dispised the Tory's are. I dont think they saw it coming - the Tory's have tons of experience in political manipulation and have run rings around them so its tricky to judge them really apart from despair at how they have let themselves be dessimated as a party whilst scary groups like UKIP have flourished. I think Vince Cable would have been a much better choice as Chancellor, but it was never going to happen. I think poor old Cleggie has become the Tory's whipping boy to be honest. They seem like they were the poor kids invited up to the Big House for a party, only to discover they'd been brought there to clean up and so that the posh boys could take the mick out of them. A lib Dem/Labour coalition might have been a very different kettle of fish.