“Maybe the Labour Party isn’t for you”

@ScribblingPixie you're right- I think what I mean is I can't believe that I, who was a fully paid up member of the LP before, would consider voting for them. It's so far from my own politics. I don't judge anyone who feels differently.

Although I suppose now, maybe i am more aligned with them. Women's rights and the safeguarding of children is of equal importance to me as the cost of living and poverty etc. Once we lose those rights, they won't come back.

It wouldn't be unthinkable to me, Luna. The Tories are in power and can support and effect change for women. In your shoes decent politicians like your describe would be where my x went, & I've never voted Conservative.

Thank you @nettie434, that's interesting to read.

I've said this about the MP as well but I'm almost glad to live in a safe Tory seat/council ward where the MP actually is alright. Guaranteed to be Tory here every single time so my vote makes no difference.

I think I'll spoil my paper for that reason and write about women's rights all over it.

Are you allowed to write why on the ballot paper, or does that make it spoilt?

Here's some advice from Voting Counts, LunaLovegoodsNecklace.

votingcounts.org.uk/spoilt-ballot

I have been to a couple of counts in the past and that post is consistent with my experiences. The candidates or their agents do see the doubtful/spoiled ballots and I personally think it sends a powerful message.

In your position, if I thought that the vote was going to be very tight and I really did not want another candidate to win, I might not risk writing on the ballot paper in case it was discounted but most parliamentary or local elections do not have such tight margins and voters generally know if they live in a marginal council or parliamentary seat.

I have no idea what to do either.

I cannot vote for Labour any more, they have no respect for women. I used to be a member but I can't see myself ever voting for them again.

Our local councillor (Tory) is actually married to the local Tory MP. I actually think he's a decent MP and does a good job locally. Whenever I've emailed him I get quick, reasonable responses, and he took lots of time to speak when he knocked on the door. Labour never even bother. He has indicated that both he and his wife are GC. So if I voted for her in the local elections I would be voting for a GC candidate.

I just don't know anymore. I can't stand so many things about the Tories yet there is real sense finally coming from BJ, SJ, RS. I also am glad we had the Tories in power throughout the pandemic rather than Labour, it would have been even worse.

Spoil my ballot paper? I'm certain that labour definitely aren't for me anymore. It's unthinkable but I may vote Tory.

Are you allowed to write why on the ballot paper, or does that make it spoilt?

My feelings entirely. I am grateful there's no voting happening in my Borough because I honestly wouldn't know what to do.

That’s fine, my vote is not for Labour

Altjough I don’t think it will impact them that much over other issues that get press I’m grateful for getting understanding from others on here

I will also point out that women have handed out 100s and 100s of leaflets to men and women to local Ward voters, and that we aren't going away anytime soon!

"It would be worth writing to everyone again, telling them who you are voting for and why."

Great suggestion.

It would be worth writing to everyone again, telling them who you are voting for and why.
I think that the local councils can do a lot to improve the situation for women and girls in hospitals, care homes, refuges, schools etc. But many don't seem to be willing to have a conversation with women about these things.

I'm a Green Party Member. Attend conferences, vote on motions etc. But where I live, because of our so very flawed electoral system have always voted Labour. I live in a Tory safe seat area.

This year, having written to all my councillor candidates with the question from the #respectmysexifyouwantmyx campaign, I thought I'd give everyone a go. Local politics being very different to national etc. Guess who came back to me wanting a conversation? A polite, elderly Tory gentleman.
Someone who worked on the Board for my local NHS Trust, decades ago, fighting for single sex hospital wards (he had heard of Kate Grimes). We had 2 long conversations the 2nd over a cup of coffee. He didn't know an awful lot about what was going on - but knew enough to talk about how gender ideology may need to be challenged at a local level - ie where they could challenge this in schools if not an academy-run service, how they could write to medical health services in support of the elderly having single sex support provision in care homes.
This wasn't a Johnson/Dorries 'win the vote' by making Starmer look like a "women can have a penis" fool; this was a man interested in what a woman had to say.

Labour, Lib Dem and Indie candidates either didn't respond or gave me TWAW nonsense.

So this year for the local elections I'm voting for this Tory. He respected my sex.

I feel completely disenfranchised. I am so frustrated with all of them.

Calling people who express concern about gender ideology obsessive is the new way of attempting to reframe what we say/put us down. People have started attacking me by telling me I'm obsessed only fairly recently. I suspect it's because GC views have now reached critical mass. In the past I could be cast as the lone, batshit old feminist eccentric: now I'm part of a wave of hysterical, obsessive women.

Imagine him saying to any other class of people who are concerned with their rights; (equality, safety, dignity and privacy) 'oh you're being obsessive bringing this up'. Effectively, shut up and stay in your place.

Yes, shocking. And imagine a political party invested in silencing Rosie Duffield and not this mysognynist. Scary.

Ideological purity has come first ever since the Momentum years.

By the tone of his response, and despite his protestations, one would not be surprised if he had said it. With his slap down to the woman on the issue itself, it doesn't seem a leap that he said the same on the doorstep. Such a curl of the lip towards women's concern about what is going on!

Imagine him saying to any other class of people who are concerned with their rights; (equality, safety, dignity and privacy) 'oh you're being obsessive bringing this up'. Effectively, shut up and stay in your place.

Yep.
The Labour Party is not for me.

Sadly the LibDems are not for me either, since they made it abundantly clear to me that my views were distasteful.

The Conservatives are not for me, either, since I find many of their views distasteful. Though they have shaped up impressively on the Ukraine.

Luckily we're not having elections here this time around, because I wouldn't have a fucking clue who to vote for. I just want a centre/moderate left party that a) knows what a woman is and b) hasn't been captured by other batshittery.

Yep and they're happy to let us know we're not welcome in their club.

As someone said on another thread:

For the men, not for you

I'm regrettably likely to spoil my vote. Our Labour run Council is currently knee deep in a multi million pound fraud. Our borough is so badly managed, we have I'm told, the second highest council tax rate in the country. We don't hear from our councillors until election time where they crawl out and try to tell us how marvellous everything is. They've been stonewalled and my ward labour Councillor is a transwoman Sophie Green (she/her).

We're a very diverse borough of multi faiths, and wealth ranging from mega rich to desperate poverty.

Lib dems are a no go and the Conservatives well I just don't want to give our government any ideas that I'm supportive of them.

What "views on Israel/Palestine" does your father hold that make him unwelcome in the Labour Party?

From the candidate: "... I am disturbed that anyone can leverage trans issues into a local election. It seems obsessive." She didn't mention trans issues, Mike, she mentioned a local issue of particular importance to girls. It's a pretty simple question and the mock-outraged deflection/dragging in another vulnerable group to distract makes you look a bit questionable.

As for the "no Labour for you" schtick - it's still an issue that someone canvassing for this candidate and for the party said this on the doorstep -it perhaps makes sense if they were recruting new members. But canvassing for votes in the local elections, it's downright weird (and kind of stupid) to tell someone not to vote for your party/candidate.

Then again, maybe it's a deliberate strategy - they're hoping people will respond with "ha ha - I WILL vote Labour; youuuuuuuuu can't stop me!!" That's what my eight year old would do.

All the women i know feel the same.