The country surely has to be ready for Labour now??

Not voting for Labour despite the fact of the conservatives completely trashing the country is cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Keir Starmer is understandably desperate to distance himself from Cronyn to get labour into government. They can hardly do anything when they're in opposition.

We have to vote for a government. The only sensible thing to do is to vote for the least worst option if they're all bad.

Labour should have my vote, but i won't vote for a party that actively encourages the erasure of women's rights. A party that doesn't know what a woman is - and I'm clearly not alone.

Why would anyone who cares about women vote Labour?

Is love to vote for anyone other than the conservatives, but if I vote Labour I just don't know what I'm getting. What is their plan?

this is tired old news!! The party has changed. You're talking about the last election with Corbyn. Starmer has clearly (and literally) rejected Corbyn and the far left

so who do those people vote for now?

• Labour have made it clear they aren't the party for those on far left.
• They have also made it clear that they aren't the party for the bigots and racists who have concerns about immigration.
• They don't want the nasty transphobes who they know are just saying they are concerned about the erasure of women's rights as a cover.
• They don't want people who openly support the trade unions on picket lines
• They definitely don't want the thick uneducated gammons who voted for Brexit but live in places that traditionally voted Labour
• Jewish people because - Palestine

so who do they want? Who is left (pun intended)?

students (better hope it's dry on voting day)?

the champagne socialist set who are rich enough not to really care either way but like the good feels of not being a Tory?

the last remaining 'red wall' voters they haven't managed to insult or belittle over their concerns?

@pastabest your posts are brilliant btw!

I reject any party that espouses identity politics and I reject "wokism" as a central tenant of a political party. I dont believe the job of a party is to shape a countrys philosophy or beliefs. The job of a party is to manage the country's finances and ensure a decent standard of living and income for all. Labour seems too intent on trying to forcibly shape narratives and doesnt show the sense of national pride and love I'm looking for. The tories dont protect or help the most vulnerable in our society. So...what is there to vote for?

No one is saying that the tories aren't a shit show (they are and I despair of what they have done to this country since 2010).

But they are a shit show that have got elected, repeatedly, over the Labour Party. Most recently they also got elected in areas that should have been easy wins for the Labour Party.

Hate the Tories all you like but the very fact they are in power at all is testament to just how badly wrong the Labour Party are getting it. That's not going to change until they do.

Personally I think they are done for.

I'm a lifelong labour voter but spoiled my ballot at the last election

This thread is telling me that I should vote for them again but there hasn't been a single post telling me what the labour party is going to do that's so brilliant, just loads telling me why the tories are awful.

I think that's very telling.

Oh and

David Lammy - women who want Singh sex spaces are rights hoarding dinosaurs
Emily Thornberry - factually inaccurate to say only women have cervices
Keir starmer - transwomen are women.

Etc etc

The Labour Party is ideologically captured. It's unfit for purpose, unfit for office.

So no, while I think this government is a shower of bastards, I cannot vote for a party which doesn't recognise my rights as a sex class

I consider myself as pretty uneducated regarding politics, yet, worryingly, seem far more invested in the future shape of UK government than the majority of people I meet.
Not a huge fan of democracy then? Surely a truly democratic vote would be for all of the home nations to vote whether to stay united or split? That will never happen.
I can't vote Labour, despite respecting Starmer, they are bending over backwards to not offend 'the woke'.
I obviously can't vote Tory.
Libdems should be my natural home but, as Apl says, they are unwilling to adapt to the wishes of the electorate.
Bring back Gordon Brown! (or Tony Blair? Covers head and runs away)

People who turn out this tired old argument don't deserve a vote.

I don't think there has been a single instance in the last 100 or more years where the winning party has gained over 50% of the votes.

Happy to be proved wrong, if that is not the case.

The idea of Jacob Rees-Mogg as Levelling Up Secretary is like some sort of sick joke. Is Liz Truss doing this as some kind of weid dare?

This

This! I’ve been wailing for years that I’d love to vote for Labour, if only they’d stop trying to destroy single sex spaces and insulting women with whom they disagree - ie most women.

Labour, Libdems and Greens need to sit down and reflect that democracy means the will of the majority gets enacted. Many Tory policies do reflect the will of the majority. (The actual Tory politicians are a total embarrassment.) But people want low income tax, grammar and private schools, and support for Ukraine. We want single sex groups at rape crisis centres. People do not want self-identification for transwomen and the destruction of girls’ safeguarding.

Labour, Libdems and Greens need to stop telling us what to think and start asking what we think. Until they do, they have zero chance of being elected.

And by the way I believe that in the long term Labour should be dismantled and replaced by something new.
It doesnt stand for the people it used to stand for anymore.

OK, so there was Brexit. I guess it made sense that the party that brought that shit onto us should be the one to lead us out of it.

Then there was Covid. BJ managed to muddle through. I hate the guy but I can appreciate objectively that he has some kind of charisma.

Now though...this cost of living crisis going completely unchecked, two frankly dire candidates for the leadership..

After everything this country has gone through the past few years, if the next election doesnt see a Labour win, I honestly and truly give up on it. If Labour doesnt win this time around, in these circumstances, it never will.

Yes I (essentially) say all of that in my post.

The reason why the Tories are in and sitting comfortably though is first and foremost, Brexit and secondly because there is no real opposition from Labour, even with Starmer, fence sitter extraordinaire.

I'm a working/middle class, female public sector employee in a caring profession, university educated with a degree relevant to my public sector role.

Labour shouldn't even have to worry about my vote. My vote should be guaranteed in the bag for them.

Its not by a very very long way, not helped by the fact that they put the work experience kid in as a candidate in my constituency at the last election because it's considered a safe Tory area. I understand they want to put their top candidates in the safest seats but you don't change hearts and minds by not even bothering. The Lib Dem's on the other hand gained a significant amount of votes and really narrowed the Tory lead, their candidate and local party was out day and night, talking to people door steps, attending coffee mornings etc as was the rest of the party when it came to the council elections (which they won).

I just feel contempt and a bit abandoned by the Labour Party.

Do you not think that it's more devisive for Scotland to never have a Tory majority but end up under Tory rule, what England wants the devolved nations have to suffer