“Maybe the Labour Party isn’t for you”

I did the same, apart from the red pen thing. It was very cathartic.

I just heard Emily Thornberry on the news dismissively referring to ‘the culture wars’ ( in the context of stupid Tories’ local election campaign).

While they may well have seemed to be protecting women’s rights simply for expedient and tactical reasons, she did not go on to say anything such as that Labour by contrast took them seriously. It was just a tossed of reference ‘the culture wars’.

I like that Rosie Duffield kindly commiserated him!

Shame. Touch of hubris maybe?
I guess there were quite a few people who thought that Labour was not the party for them after all.

Mr Tapp lost by 4 votes.

twitter.com/Francis14485330/status/1522550405393223680?s=20&t=dJIMo3_RQRKyIjRTv6y43g

When I was involved in canvassing for the Labour Party that was pretty much what you were told to do. The main purpose was to establish who and where your potential voters were so that you that you could encourage them to turn out on polling day (e.g. with 'Remember to vote!' notices through the letter box). You were specifically told not to get involved in longer discussions - instead you offered to arrange for the candidate to come and talk to them.

A French friend told me that it's very common in France to hand in what they call a "blank ballot". It's a way of saying that you're participating in the political process, but you don't think any of the candidates are worth voting for. She says the number of blank votes is reported in the press, and the parties definitely look at the result, and (maybe) they ask themselves what they could be doing to persuade some of those voters to change their minds.

Thanks, nettie434. Maybe I should have got a postal vote and had more "time to come up with something creative". I don't want to be writing an essay at the polling booth, something short and snappy would be good.

Wow, what a way to get canvas for voters! Isn't the point that they're trying to persuade swinging voters?

A very young Labour guy knocked on my door last year and simply said "do you vote Labour?" and I said not anymore, he just replied with: "whaaaattttt?! Naww man, that's too bad man!", and then walked away...

I put this link upthread AutumnSquill.

votingcounts.org.uk/spoilt-ballot

I have seen people dismiss the practice of spoiling your ballot but I think they underestimate the way political parties work. Active parties in the most marginal of seats reach a huge number of the electorate through doorstep and telephone canvassing and private polling. However, most of us don't live in marginal seats or attend hustings meetings so we don't get a chance to say what we think unless we contact the candidates ourselves. Looking at the spoiled ballots is just one of the ways in which agents and candidates collect information to inform their campaign.

The 'respect my sex' campaign is harnessing support from women with very different political opinions. I personally think that writing 'respect my sex if you want my x' is a very clear way of showing that someone has not understood the voting instructions etc.

Of course it's not the same impact as having a long conversation with a candidate over coffee, as mentioned upthread. However, it's just one strategy among many. Some politicians are impervious to women's concerns. We knew that already. However, it's a message that will reach the more open minded.

Good thinking EdithStourton. I've found a survey form on the Wandsworth Labour website so I can add some comments there, but since I've also voted Green and Lib Dem at various times in the past, I'd like them all to know why they're not getting my vote now.

@AutumnSquill last time I took a sticker saying 'if you don't respect my sex, don't expect my X'.
It saved me spending ages scribbling in the booth.

I always vote - I don't want to just not turn up, I want them to know why they didn't get my vote. I'll look into contact details for the candidates.

Also, I think a higher than usual amount of spoiled ballots would give everyone pause for reflection. I don't know if enough women will be doing this for it to register though. It's still better than throwing your ballot in the bin or not turning up.

It really depends on the circumstances of the ballot count at the time. In my experience of working at many, the candidates and/or agents are often crowded around the tables for their ward throwing their weight about making sure that things are above board. As a count supervisor I would hold up a spoiled ballot to make it clear that it is spoiled. So make sure you write clearly (see my use of red felt tip above ) and there is a chance it will be read. I suspect contacting the candidates and telling them why you didn't vote for them would be a good idea too.

I'm in Wandsworth - high profile Conservative council that Labour seems to be in with a chance of winning. I've never voted Conservative, but I really can't bring myself to vote Labour this time round either. I think I will spoil my ballot - any suggestions for making my reasons clear? There are varying reports on whether anyone actually looks at spoiled ballot papers.

Had a Libdem canvasser round, asked him to tell me what a woman is, he declined. When I said that I was sick of TWAW rubbish he tried to tell me that his party was doing a lot to address the violence towards women and I told him that if a trans women attacked a woman it would be put on the statistics as a woman on woman attack . Think that I will probably spoil my ballot paper, its a two horse race in my borough between Tory and Libdem.

nitter.net/Obsolesence/status/1227376875997102081#m

mobile.twitter.com/CllrJeanieBell/status/1227369172688080898

This is one of my Labour councillors. I saw the pronouns and thought, "Well, she's probably just trying to be nice. Live and let live" etc. Then investigated further. I don't mind women having different opinions to me. I do object when they think my differing opinions mean I should be thrown out of the Labour Party. Clearly will not be voting for her.

this sums it up for me too.

Thankfully, we have an independent standing. though I am also going to take a pen and adorn the bvallot paper with slogans. the stubby pencil they provide is far to loud scratchiung away.

Thank you @nettie434
That is very interesting as I am torn between spoiling my ballot and voting for the Conservative candidate. I think I might spoil/write my reasons now I know the candidates will see them. Although I suspect the beardy local Labour guy will automatically just dismiss my ramblings.

Proper pissed off that Labour are so condescending and useless now. They are less of a serious political party and more of a student union think tank these days !!!

Sometimes I feel a bit hopeless and wonder if feminists (or just women like myself) writing here are living in an echo chamber. My ex-H just reads the Guardian and has no idea that any of this is going on, he and has wife have Labour posters in their window and will continue to vote Labour over and over because they see this as the righteous option. Righteous = recycling their wine bottles and driving 2 huge cars). So whilst I think an exodus of Labour women from the Party will hurt, will the numbers make difference?

Where I live it's a two party race, Labour don't even bother leafletting. I can't vote Tory as they have plundered the council into billions of debt. So it's the LibDems with their bizarre women-hating, or a spoiled ballot, or not voting at all. I was going to hold my nose and vote LD but their behaviour on Twitter over the Respect my Sex husting leaflets was just so nasty.

So much about today’s Labour Party reminds me of Gordon Brown’s encounter with Gillian Duffy. She told him she was worried about immigration, he called her a bigot.

-> Labour lost the election because it didn’t listen to people -> the country voted for Brexit, mostly because of immigration worries. When politicians ignore what the people care about, things go wrong.

The Labour party isn’t for me, either, because of their irrational desire to give woke trans lobbyists anything they want, at the expense of women’s rights and children’s safeguarding. Plus Kier has failed as a leader.

But how can the Tories be for me when I absolutely despise Boris Johnson and his band of incompetents?

And how can I vote Liberal or Green when their stance on women’s rights is just as bad as Labour?

Ugh.

I've just done the same, in red felt tip. It feels so wrong, but better than just binning the ballot paper.

I returned my ballot by post. I spoiled it. Wrote all over it. Very childish, but no regrets. I just scribbled next to each candidate's name why I can't vote for them. I'd do it again, too.